Dorothy Whyte was honored as one of this year’s Cork Distance Week Heroes – and rightly so.
Not only was she one of the participants in the 2026 hard-core training camp in Cork, Ireland, but as CDW Host Ned Denison writes, “It certainly helps the local Sandycove swimmers have longer conversations – while they aren’t shivering.
She twice hosted 80+ Cork Distance Week crews for dinner. These fabulous gathering helped the group to come together. Bonding does take place while walking down the slipway, side-by-side around corner 2, and over warm soup after a session. [But] real friendships happened over a meal at Dorothy’s house and these swimmers tend to meet up later in numerous international locations. Thank Dorothy, who splits her time between Kinsale and London, again for helping the magic to happen.”
Paul de Waard [shown above swimming 13.3 km from Oysterhaven to Roberts Coveron in Ireland) was also honored as one of the 2026 Cork Distance Week Heroes. As Denison explains, “He built up his marathon swimming distances at the 2022:Cork Distance Week, around Fastnet Rock, around Cork City and Lough Gil, in Galway Bay, IJsselmeer, across the North Channel and from Cork to Cobh, across Wörtersee, from Oysterhaven to Roberts Cove, participated in the IISA 6th World Championship.
He also showcased his other talent with several small Weber grill sessions and helping with Cork Distance Week barbeques. He volunteered early to be the catering manager for 2025 Cork Distance Week. It is the toughest job at CDW and he took off the pressure. Paul was the first manager to have worked professionally as a chef – and it showed. The normal fare was on offer plus homemade vegan soup and served up by a happy and motivated volunteer team. The bar has been raised and a tough act to be following.”
2026 Cork Distance Week Participants
- Alessandra Cima
- Alex Daviet
- Alex Jeffers
- Amy Frick
- Andrea Newport
- Andrew Powell
- Anita Hartsock
- Barbara Lastelic
- Bill Shipp
- Brian Foster
- Carol Wortman
- Caroline Corkery
- Carol-lynn Swol
- Celine McInerney
- Charlotte O’Driscoll
- Cian O’Neill
- Cormac Mac Cionnaith
- Courtney Paulk
- Dani Cameron
- Dario Fernandez
- Darren Morrissey
- David Buckley
- David Merriman
- Donna Galvin
- Dorothy Whyte
- Elaine Burrows Dillane
- Erika Beauchamp
- Fergal Madden
- Finya Lang
- Fiona Mildner
- Fionnuala Walsh
- Grainne Read
- Halani Moss-Vete
- Helen Betley
- India Barnard
- James Clifford
- Jeannie Zappe
- Joanna Stokoe
- John Batchelder
- Jonathan O’Regan
- Juan Gabriel Acosta
- Julia Maguire
- Juliet Kadlecek
- Karen Deenihan
- Kerianne Brownlie
- Kerry Yonushonis
- Kevin Cooper
- Kevin Dennehy
- Kevin Graham
- Laure Latham
- Linda Clarke
- Linda Newport
- Liz Fry
- Luke Edmonds
- Luke Venables
- Marcel Poodt
- Marcia Cleveland
- Mark Dunleavy
- Mary Singer
- Matthias Kaßner
- Maxine Strain
- Melanie Holland
- Michelle Goodwin
- Milko van Gool
- Ned Denison
- Nial Kenny
- Nikki Pope
- Owen O’Keefe
- Patricia Heffernan
- Paul de Waard
- Paula Yankauskas
- Pavel Dagorov
- Rebecca Thompson
- Rory Kaye
- Rosie Foley
- Ruth Fuller
- Ryan Stille
- Ryland Sutton
- Steve Payne
- Steve Sutton
- Steven Foster
- Susan McKay
- Taylor Stallings-Pinnick
- Therese Molyneux
- Vasanti Niemz
- Wen Erh Hsu
- Will Collings-Wells
- Will Smith
© 2026 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
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