Gráinne Moss née Gunn (56, Ireland, MSF bio here) injured her hand just weeks before her second attempt of the Tsugaru Channel in northern Japan. Worried and not 100%, Moss simply put her head down and achieved her goal of completing the Oceans Seven.

Yesterday was her day after a disappointing attempt in 2025.

It was both enjoyable and challenging. Moss said after reaching land, “It was great until Tsugaru decided at the end thougth will not pass… so up and down coast [I swam]. Then through bouys. I had to dig deep for speed … water 18°C at start, but lower at the end 15°C with some icy patches, but the Oceans Seven is done.”

I am relieved and tired. Because the escort boat could not come to shore, swimming a kilometer back to the boat from the shore was a downer. But I am feeling joyous, delighted, thrilled now.”

Moss became the first Irish woman to complete the Oceans Seven as well as the first Irish woman to complete crossings of the Tsugaru Channel, Molokai Channel, English Channel, and Cook Strait – and the person with the longest elapse time of almost 40 years…filled with friends and adventure. What a sport we are privileged to be part of.“

The Oceans Seven Journey of Gráinne Moss

• English Channel in 11 hours 52 minutes in August 1987
• Cook Strait in 12 hours 25 minutes in March 2001
• North Channel in 13 hours 33 minutes in July 2022
• Molokai Channel in 15 hours 7 minutes in May 2023
• Catalina Channel in 11 hours 22 minutes in July 2023
• Strait of Gibraltar in 4 hours 23 minutes in May 2024
• Tsugaru Channel attempt stopped after 11 hours 52 minutes in 15°C water in July 2025
• Tsugaru Channel in 12 hours 39 minutes on June 18th 2026

Nic Russell, Founder and Chief Executive of Kenzie’s Gift, gives his perspective on her achievement, “Last year, the Tsugaru Current won. This year, Gráinne did.

At 56, she completed the Oceans Seven nearly 39 years after her first channel swim — while raising close to $50,000 for Kenzie’s Gift. The Northern Irish-born New Zealander crossed Tsugaru Channel on her second attempt, becoming the first Irish woman to do it. In 2025, Gráinne swam 55 km for almost 13 hours before the Tsugaru Current pushed the finish beyond reach and she made the call to stop. This year, she went back and finished it — fueled along the way by her mum Philippa’s potato and leek soup.

She was 17 when she startedy the Oceans Seven journe. She is 56 now.

Gráinne first crossed the English Channel in 1987, becoming the first Irish woman to do so. The span of 14,200 days between her first and seventh Oceans Seven swims is the longest in the challenge’s history.

“I went back because I wasn’t prepared to let last year have the final word. Completing Oceans Seven is difficult to take in, especially when I think about that first English Channel swim at 17. This was about more than reaching the other side. Every donation helps Kenzie’s Gift support children whose parent or sibling has died or is seriously ill. I’m enormously grateful to my family, crew, pilots, coaches and everyone who backed me,” said Gráinne.

Gráinne is one in a million — tough, funny, generous and gloriously stubborn. I am totally in awe of her. She could have made this just about the swimming. Instead, she has put herself through some of the hardest water on the planet to help young people she may never meet.

That generosity is every bit as remarkable as the swimming. As two County Down women who now call New Zealand home, I couldn’t be prouder. Gráinne has raised close to $50,000 for Kenzie’s Gift through her swim challenges. Her latest campaign is aiming to raise another $10,000 and has already passed $6,500.

The money helps Kenzie’s Gift provide professional mental health support to young New Zealanders whose parent, borther or sister has died or has a serious illness.

By day, Gráinne leads New Zealand’s Ministry for Regulation as Chief Executive. Her swimming and fundraising are undertaken in her personal capacity.

The swim is finished. The fundraising isn’t. Donate at https://grainne.kenziesgift.com/.“

Karen Ennis (53, UK, MSF bio here) and Paul Leonard (54, UK, MSF bio here) also completed their Oceans Seven journeys within a few hours of Moss.

Steven Munatones commented, “What is absolutely incredible is how three different people from around the world ended up completing their Oceans Seven on the same exact day within hours of one another. When I first conceived of the Oceans Seven, I did not know if it were even possible. And even if it were possible, it would take many, many years before the first person achieved the Oceans Seven. But 18 years after it was first announced, we already have 46 people from all walks of life and all ages who have become Oceans Seven swimmers – and there are several more people who will do the Oceans Seven in July and August this year. Wow. Just incredible how the global open water swimming community can set – and achieve – goals previously thought impossible.”

Oceans Seven Swimmers

1st: Stephen Redmond (Ireland)
2nd: Anna-Carin Nordin (Sweden)
3rd: Michelle Macy (USA)
4th: Darren Miller (USA)
5th: Adam Walker (UK)
6th: Kimberley Chambers (New Zealand)
7th: Antonio Argüelles (Mexico)
8th: Ion Lazarenco Tiron (Moldavia/Ireland)
9th: Rohan Dattatrey More (India)
10th: Abhejali Bernardová (Czech Republic)
11th: Cameron Bellamy (South Africa)
12th: Lynton Mortensen (Australia)
13th: Thomas Pembroke (Australia)
14th: Nora Toledano Cadena (Mexico)
15th: Mariel Hawley Davila (Mexico)
16th: André Wiersig (Germany)
17th: Elizabeth Fry (USA)
18th: Attila Mányoki (Hungary)
19th: Jonathan Ratcliffe (UK)
20th: Jorge Crivilles Villanueva (Spain)]
21st: Adrian Sarchet (Guernsey)
22nd: Prabhat Koli (India)
23rd: Dina Levačić (Croatia)
24th: Herman van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
25th: Andy Donaldson (Scotland)
26th: Stephen Junk (Australia)
27th: Kieron Palframan (South Africa)
28th: Bárbara Hernández Huerta (Chile)
29th: Mark Sowerby (Australia)
30th: Paul Georgescu (Romania)
31st: Zach Margolis (USA)
32nd: Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria)
33rd: Nathalia Pohl (Germany)
34th: Caitlin O’Reilly (New Zealand at the age of 20 years 7 months 15 days)
35th: Ryan Utsumi (USA)
36th: Marcia Cleveland (USA)
37th: Eduardo Collazos Valle-Guayo (Peru)
38th: Rob Woodhouse (Australia)
39th: Alessandra Rossi Cima (Brazil)
40th: Bengisu Avci (Turkey)
41st: Simon Olliver (New Zealand)
42nd: Andreas Waschburger (Germany)
43rd: Joanne Norman (Australia)
44th: Paul Leonard (Great Britain)
45th: Gráinne Moss (Ireland)
46th: Karen Ennis (Great Britain)

© 2026 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

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