Social media has helped swimmers around the world connect and communicate. They create and coordinate all sorts of things, both in the water and on dryland.

We will look at the various social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook) and find some of the biggest names – that are literally brands in the modern-day era of media and in the sport of open water swimming.

The second annual Instagram list below is not conclusive or comprehensive. There are most probably other swimmers on the Internet with large followings in the channel swimming, marathon swimming, ice swimming, winter swimming, or stage swimming communities, or on the professional marathon swimming circuit.

The Women: Social Influencers on Instagram

• @aysu.turkoglu: 490K followers of Aysu Türkoğlu of Turkey [shown above on left]
• @swimmerpsychologist: 246K followers of Deniz Kayadelen of Turkey
• @anamarcela92: 223K followers of Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil [shown above on right]
• @lexiekellyswim: 206K followers of Lexie Kelly of the USA
• @barbarehlla_h: 205K followers of Bárbara Hernández Huerta of Chile [shown above on left]
• @pohlnathalie: 182K followers of Nathalie Pohl of Germany
• @leoniebeckswim: 133K followers of Leonie Beck of Germany
• @svrouwendaal: 132K followers of Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands
• @pilargeijo: 122K followers of Pilar Geijo of Argentina
• @diananyad: 116K followers of Diana Nyad of the USA
• @polianaokimoto: 107K followers of Poliana Okimoto of Brazil
• @swimplifly: 107K followers of Ildi Szekely of Hungary
• @auramove.nz: 91.6K followers of Laura Quilter of New Zealand
• @bengisuavcı: 80K followers of Bengisu Avcı of Turkey
• @elinamae: 75.7K followers of Elina Makïnen of Finland
• @suchetadebburman: 63.3K followers of Sucheta Deb Burman of India
• @amy.swims: 53.7K followers of Amy Ennion of Great Britain
• @_katie.grimes_: 46.2K followers of Katie Grimes of the USA
• @cecibiagioli: 43.6K followers of Cecilia Biagioli of Argentina
• @kristelkobrich: 38.2K followers of Kristel Köbrich of Chile
• @marielhawley: 34.3K followers of Mariel Hawley of Mexico
• @akhavanraha: 27.8K followers of Dr. Raha Akhavan Tabatabaei of Iran
• @jaimie.monahan: 26.8K followers of Jaimie Monahan of the USA
• @mariamsalehbinladen: 22.6K followers of Mariam Saleh Bin Laden of Saudi Arabia
• @elmahdy_randa: 22.4K followers of Randa Elmahdy Said of Egypt
• @ailenlascanomicaz: 21.3K followers of Ailen Lascano Micaz of Argentina
• @claire_weinstein: 19K followers of Claire Weinstein of the USA
• @swimhaley: 18.4K followers of Haley Anderson of the USA
• @laragrangeon: 16K followers of Lara Grangeon of France
• @carinabruwer: 13.7K followers of Carina Bruwer of South Africa
• @kerianne_payne: 13.3K followers of Keri-Anne Payne of Great Britain
• @csutswim: 12.7K followers of Chloe Sutton of the USA
• @becca.harvs: 12.7K followers of Becca Harvey
• @alicedearingx: 11.4K followers of Alice Dearing of Great Britain
• @vivijungblut: 10.9K followers of Viviane Jungblut of Brazil
• @aureliemullerofficial: 10.8K followers of Aurélie Muller of France
• @annacska93: 10.4K followers of Anna Olasz of Hungary
• @sarahswims04: 10.3K followers of Sarah Thomas of the USA
• @oceane_cassignol: 10.1K followers of Oceane Cassignol of France

The Men: Social Influencers on Instagram

• @richroll: 1.6M followers of Rich Roll of the USA
• @rossedgley: 1M followers of Ross Edgley of Great Britain
• @mounir_iceswim: 552K followers of Mounir Kariss of Morocco
• @noamyaron_: 459K followers of Noam Yaron of Switzerland
• @greg_palt: 416K followers of Gregorio Paltrinieri of Italy [shown above on right]
• @alexfongliksun: 292K followers of Alex Fong Lik-sun of Hong Kong
• @adamoceanwalker: 233K followers of Adam Walker of Great Britain
• @jamalhill: 221K followers of Jamal Hill of the USA
• @andy.swimming: 216K followers of Andy Donaldson of Scotland
• @matias.ola: 139K followers of Matías Ola of Argentina
• @peter.plavec: 107K followers of Peter Plavec of Slovakia
• @daniel.wiffen: 94.7K followers of Daniel Wiffen of Ireland
• @kuzeytuncelli: 80.3K followers of Kuzey Tunçelli of Turkey
• @ousmellouli: 77.5K followers of Ous Mellouli of Tunisia
• @flo.swim: 72.7K followers of Florian Wellbrock of Germany
• @jorgeivandelvalle: 71.9K followers of of Jorge Iván Agudelo Vargas of Colombia [shown above on left]
• @hhskmedia: 71.1K followers of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain
• @maartenvanderweijden: 51K followers of Maarten van der Weijden of the Netherlands
• @henrikchristians1: 43.5K followers of Henrik Christiansen of Norway
• @lewis.pugh: 39.7K followers of Lewis Pugh of South Africa
• @adamskolnick: 37.8K followers of Adam Skolnick of the USA
• @hassan.baraka: 32.9K followers of Hassan Baraka of Morocco
• @allandocarmo: 32.2K followers of Allan do Carmo of Brazil
• @neil.agius: 35.7K followers of Neil Agius of Malta
• @steve_stievenart: 32.3K followers of Stève Stievenart of France
• @alainsimac: 31.3K followers of Alain Simac of France
• @andreaswaschburger: 26.9K followers of Andreas Waschburger of Germany
• @hectorpardoe: 23.6K followers of Hector Pardoe of Great Britain
• @marcosdiazrd: 20.4K followers of Marcos Díaz of the Dominican Republic
• @thevortexswim: 18K followers of Benoît Lecomte of France
• @veryferryfast: 17.2K followers of Ferry Weertman of the Netherlands
• @dome_ace: 17.7K followers of Domenico Acerenza of Italy
• @ky_hurst: 15.4K followers of Ky Hurst of Australia
• @_ronanfahey: 13.7K followers of Ronan Fahey of Ireland
• @vitos_kochnev: 12K followers of Vitalii Kochnev of Russia
• @swimmeranton: 11.7K followers of Anton Janezich of the USA
• @renemtzs: 10.7K followers of Rene Martínez Saenz of Mexico
• @olli.kle: 9.8K followers of Oliver Klemet of Germany

Missing Swimmers

Who have we missed? Email steven.munatones@kaatsu.com to suggest additional social influencers who are popular and have significant sway in the open water swimming community.

© 2026 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“

World Open Water Swimming Federation, an exclusively human-powered project.