The multi-talented, multi-faceted Kathleen Wilson from Charleston, South Carolina added another channel to her growing resume.
She became the 25th person to swim across the Molokai Channel.
The politician/musician/marathon swimmer/race director swam 42 km (26 miles) from Molokai’s Laau Point to Oahu’s Sandy Beach in 20 hours 41 minutes. She left Molokai at 1:00 am on Saturday and arrived on Sandy Beach at 10:41 pm.
The conditions were never ideal with the southeast wind blowing up to 15 mph. The Pacific Ocean was lumpy and bumpy with at least 4-foot swells throughout until Wilson arrived at Sandy Beach where the shore break was a dangerous 5-6 foot or an exhausted swimmer.
Wilson got hammered by 2 large sets as she tried to exit the water with her skin blotched red with more than 20 jellyfish stings.
Wilson has now completed not only two of the Southern California Eight channels (Catalina Channel and Santa Barbara Channel), but also four of the seven channels of the Oceans Seven (English Channel), Catalina Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, and the Molokai Channel).
The current Oceans Seven ranking:
1. Stephen Redmond (Ireland): Completed English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Catalina Channel, Cook Strait, Molokai Channel, Tsugaru Channel, North Channel
2. Penny Palfrey (Australia): English Channel (2 times), Strait of Gibraltar, Catalina Channel, Cook Strait, Molokai Channel, Tsugaru Channel: 6 with 1 more to go (North Channel to be decided).
2. Michelle Macy (USA): English Channel, Catalina Channel, Molokai Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Cook Strait, Strait of Gibraltar, Tsugaru Channel: 6 with 1 more to go (North Channel to be decided).
4. Darren Miller (USA): English Channel, Catalina Channel, Molokai Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Tsugaru Channel: 5 with 2 more to go (Cook Strait for March 2013 and the North Channel for August 2013).
4. Forrest Nelson (USA): English Channel, Catalina Channel (both ways and two-way), Molokai Channel (both ways), Tsugaru Channel and Cook Strait: 5 with 2 more more to go (remaining schedule unannounced).
4. James Pittar (Australia): English Channel, Catalina Channel, Cook Strait and Strait of Gibraltar: 4 with 3 more to go (remaining schedule unannounced).
4. Kevin Murphy (England): English Channel (34 times), Catalina Channel, North Channel (two times) and Strait of Gibraltar: 4 with 3 more to go (remaining schedule unannounced).
4. Bula Chowdhury Chakraborty (India): English Channel (twice), Catalina Channel, Cook Strait and Strait of Gibraltar: 4 with 3 more to go (remaining schedule unannounced).
4. Tom Hecker (USA): English Channel, Catalina Channel, Cook Strait and Strait of Gibraltar: 4 with 3 more to go (remaining schedule unannounced).
4. Pieter Christian Jongeneel Anderica (Spain): English Channel, Catalina Channel, Cook Strait and Strait of Gibraltar: 4 with 3 more to go (Molokai Channel scheduled for 2012).
4. T. Scott Coleman (USA): English Channel, Catalina Channel, Cook Strait and Strait of Gibraltar: 4 with 3 more to go (remaining schedule unannounced).
4. Anna-Carin Nordin (Sweden): Molokai Channel, English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Catalina Channel: 4 with 3 more to go (Tsugaru Channel scheduled for September 2012, North Channel scheduled for 2012 and Cook Strait scheduled for 2014).
4. Craig Lenning (USA): North Channel, English Channel, Catalina Channel, Tsugaru Channel: 4 with 3 more to go (remaining schedule unannounced).
4. Kathleen Wilson (USA): English Channel, Catalina Channel, Molokai Channel, Strait of Gibraltar: 4 with 3 more to go (remaining schedule unannounced).
15. Michael Miller (USA): Molokai Channel, English Channel, Catalina Channel: 3 with 4 more to go (remaining schedule unannounced).
15. Adam Walker (UK): English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Molokai Channel: 3 with 4 more to go.
15. Nick Adams (UK): English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Catalina Channel: 3 with 4 more to go.
15. Sakura Hingley (UK): English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Catalina Channel: 3 with 4 more to go.
Copyright © 2012 by World Open Water Swimming Association