The English Channel has its Half Century Club, a group of individuals who have crossed the English Channel past their 50th birthday.
The Strait of Gibraltar also has its own Half Century Club as does the Cook Strait, Molokai Channel, and Catalina Channel.
But it is Down Under in Western Australia, where the Fountain of Youth has been found somewhere between the west coast of Perth and Rottnest Island. 175 swimmers over the age of 50 have swum from the Australian mainland to Rottnest Island and have joined the Half Century Club for Rottnest Island.
The 19.7 km race departs from Cottesloe Beach and finishes at Thomson Bay on Rottnest Island and can get extremely rough. Although only the solo swimmers over the age of 50 are listed in this Half Century Club, there are also duo teams of 2, teams of 4 and the Lavan Legal Charity Challenge that annually compete.
Note: Each swimmer’s year calculation include the exact number of months and days on date of swim.
1. Dieter Loeliger (Australia), 9:21, 76.99 years in 2010
2. Dieter Loeliger (Australia), 6:18, 74.06 years in 2007
3. Dieter Loeliger (Australia), 7:45, 72.99 years in 2006
4. Dieter Loeliger (Australia), 6:06, 71.99 years in 2005
5. Les Stewart (Australia), 9:17, 71.06 years in 2007
6. Dieter Loeliger (Australia), 6:30, 71.00 years in 2004
7. Dieter Loeliger (Australia), 8:31, 70.00 years in 2003
8. Dieter Loeliger (Australia), 6:49, 69.00 years in 2002
9. Les Stewart (Australia), 10:34, 68.99 years in 2005
10. Dieter Loeliger (Australia), 6:08, 68.01 years in 2001
11. Dieter Loeliger (Australia), 5:55, 67.01 years in 2000
12. Michael Christie (Australia), 11:04, 66.17 years in 2009
13. Les Stewart (Australia) 13:28, 66.00 years in 2002
14. Dieter Loeliger (Australia), 6:51, 65.99 years in 1999
15. Carrol Wannell (Australia), 8:19, 65.38 years in 2009
16. Michael Christie (Australia), 8:29, 65.23 years in 2008
17. Michael Christie (Australia), 9:19, 65.16 years in 2008
18. Dieter Loeliger (Australia), 6:54, 65.00 years in 1998
19. Barrie Eves (Australia), 7:39, 64.60 years in 2001
20. Ron Edwards (Australia), 7:40, 64.47 in 2000
21. Michael Christie (Australia), 7:49:51, 64.24 in 2007
22. Wendy Smith (Australi), 8:34:00, 64.17 in 2007
23. Les Stewart (Australia),10:13:08, 64.01 in 2000
24. Sue Oldham (Australia), 10:06:25, 63.44 in 2009
25. Ralph McManis (Australia), 9:50:17, 63.39 in 2010
26. Sue Oldham (Australia), 10:48:27, 63.24 in 2009
27. Dieter Loeliger (Australia), 6:07:50, 62.98 in 1996
28. Sue Oldham (Australia), 10:08:30, 62.23 in 2008
29. Toshio Mochizuki (Australia), 10:02:06, 62.03 in 2008
30. Christine Roberts (Australia), 10.47:00, 61.58 in 2009
31. Sue Oldham (Australia), 8:18:10, 61.31 in 2007
32. Ken McKenzie (Australia), 7:46:48, 60.99 in 2000
33. Graham Lake (Australia), 10:48:25, 60.85 in 2005
34. Ritchie Kirk (Australia), 8:46:58, 60.82 in 2006
35. Yoko Tsuya (Japan), 9:07:54, 60.74 in 2005
36. Carrol Wannell (Australia), 6:25:01, 60.38 in 2004
37. Peter Mak (Australia), 9:34:26, 60.33 in 2010
38. Barry Demmler (Australia), 7:30:16, 60.24 in 2001
39. Bett Craig (Australia), 7:19:56, 60.04 in 2009
40. Peter Jones (Australia), 10:32:58, 59.89 in 2003
41. Michael Kennedy (Australia), 7:39:48, 59.69 in 2008
42. Carrol Wannell (Australia), 6:22:36, 59.44 in 2003
43. Bernard Sellmeyer (Australia), 7:17:35, 59.38 in 2010
44. Sue Oldham (Australia), 8:31:22, 59.24 in 2005
45. Patricia Smith (Australia), 8:52:10, 58.99 in 1995
46. Jan McGowan (Australia), 7:44:24, 58.75 in 2010
47. Tim Mather (Australia), 8:35:43, 58.56 in 2004
48. Rory Toner (Australia), 8:01:13, 58.41 in 2009
49. Gary Emich (USA), 8:45:43, 58.15 in 2009
50. John Watson (Australia), 6:23:44, 58.12 in 2009
51. Max Wannell (Australia), 8:07:05, 58.00 in 2003
52. Rory Toner (Australia), 7:49:35, 57.40 in 2008
53. Kathryn Phillips (Australia), 9:40:12, 57.39 in 2009
54. Philip Tyrell (Australia), 6:29:12, 57.38 in 2010
55. John Olsen (Australia), 9:50:35, 57.25 in 1999
56. Bett Montgomery (Australia), 8:21:04, 57.03 in 2006
57. Orin McCluskey (Australia), 9:16:58, 57.07 in 2008
58. Max Watts (Australia), 10:31:05, 56.88 in 2004
59. Doug Craig (Australia), 6:19:47, 56.88 in 2008
60. Max Naismith (Australia), 7:38:42, 56.54 in 2005
61. Kathryn Phillips (Australia), 8:16:08, 56.45 in 2008
62. Peter Neesham (Australia), 8:44:31, 56.40 in 2008
63. Carrol Wannell (Australia), 6:09:36, 56.39 in 2000
64. Anthony Sellmeyer (South Africa) M 8:34:32, 56.38 in 2007
65. Bill McKenzie (Australia), 6:32:17, 56.38 in 2010
66. Sue Oldham (Australia), 10:44:48, 56.25 in 2002
67. Michael Flower (Australia), 7:01:50, 56.15 in 1999
68. Jo-Anne Danne (Australia), 7:38:53, 56.12 in 2009
69. Peter Bradford (Australia), 10:18:04, 56.09 in 1999
70. Bett Montgomery (Australia), 6:25:54, 56.03 in 2005
71. Doug Craig (Australia), 6:41:55, 55.89 in 2007
72. Milton Parry (Australia), 6:21:50, 55.81 in 2004
73. Julie Kerr (Australia), 7:41:03, 55.77 in 2008
74. Phil Lansell (Australia), 10:00:16, 55.56 in 2009
75. Rory Toner (Australia), 9:30:40, 55.41 in 2006
76. Bill McKenzie (Australia), 7:13:25, 55.38 in 2009
77. Pam Gunn (Australia), 9:12:50, 55.28 in 2010
78. Brian Cook (Australia), 9:15:26, 55.27 in 2010
79. Dominique Achour-Fisher (Australia), 9:55:00, 55.26 in 1999
80. Barry Demmler (Australia), 7:16:49, 55.22 in 1996
81. Tom Clarke (Australia), 6:41:11 55.11 in 2002
82. John Guilfoyle (Australia), 7:02:08, 54.86 in 1999
83. Peter Becker (Australia), 8:23:23, 54.85 in 2009
84. Doug Craig (Australia), 9:01:50, 54.81 in 2006
85. Lesley Cherriman-Meaney (Australia), 7:02:44, 54.80 in 2000
86. Masafumi Hoshi (Japan), 6:50:56, 54.72 in 2010
87. David Pether (Australia), 8:11:07, 54.75 in 2002
88. Simon High (Australia), 7:42:07, 54.64 in 2008
89. Tony Parbery (Australia), 8:28:21, 54.51 in 2010
90. Rory Toner (Australia), 6:49:06, 54.41 in 2005
91. Ric Ainley (Australia), 5:51:33, 54.40 in 2005
92. Warwick Archer (Australia), 7:28:27, 54.32 in 2001
93. Brian Cook (Australia), 8:31:01, 54.27 in 2009
94. Peter Bradford (Australia), 8:00:48, 54.10 in 1997
95. Bett Montgomery (Australia), 8:39:57, 54.04 in 2003
96. Alan Penny (Australia), 7:51:01, 53.95 in 2007
97. Stuart Weston (Australia), 7:22:20, 53.90 in 2008
98. Doug Craig (Australia), 5:46:40, 53.85 in 2005
99. David Craig (Australia), 5:47:21, 53.82 in 2005
100. Shane Kelly (Australia), 9:01:49, 53.82 in 2008
101. Tony Parbery (Australia), 8:21:02, 53.51 in 2009
102. Charles Richards (South Africa), 6:56:32, 53.49 in 2001
103. Carrol Wannell (Australia), 5:59:45, 53.38 in 1997
104. Faye Rodgers (Australia), 8:14:28, 53.36 in 2005
105. Brian Cook (Australia), 8:10:36, 53.26 in 2008
106. John Watson (Australia), 6:00:38, 53.12 in 2004
107. Tom Clarke (Australia), 6:17:42, 53.12 in 2000
108. Chris Davis (Australia), 11:57:59, 53.10 in 2001
109. Peter Bradford (Australia), 8:57:39, 53.08 in 1996
110. Neville Knuckey (Australia), 10:05:29, 52.98 in 2006
111. Kim Tyler (Australia), 6:48:57, 52.96 in 2007
112. David Craig (Australia), 6:11:27, 52.82 in 2004
113. Masafumi Hoshi (Japan), 6:39:38, 52.70 in 2008
114. Mary-Anne Paton (Australia), 6:46:59, 52.65 in 2010
115. Ed Stucken (Australia), 7:50:21, 52.61 in 2010
116. Tony Parbery (Australia), 7:16:35, 52.57 in 2008
117. Roger Finch (Australia), 7:24:39, 52.52 in 2010
118. Tony Parbery (Australia), 7:33:55, 52.50 in 2008
119. Charles Richards (South Africa), 7:04:03, 52.49 in 2000
120. Ross White (Australia) 6:54:41, 52.48 in 2008
121. William Newitt (South Africa), 7:59:17, 52.44 in 2001
122. Michael Stacey (Australia), 8:09:22, 52.42 in 2001
123. Selwyn Jellie (Australia), 7:30:00, 52.27 in 2009
124. Graeme Armstrong (Australia), 6:12:19, 52.22 in 2005
125. Selwyn Jellie (Australia), 10:16:17, 52.07 in 2009
126. Steve Rowe (Australia), 6:42:13, 52.06 in 2004
127. Bett Montgomery (Australia), 6:55:13, 52.05 in 2001
128. Max Wannel (Australia), 6:59:43, 51.95 in 1997
129. Jim Smith (Australia), 7:31:59, 51.85 in 2006
130. Colin White (Australia), 9:36:00, 51.79 in 2001
131. David Pether (Australia), 9:20:01, 51.74 in 1999
132. Mary-Anne Paton (Australia), 6:29:19, 51.66 in 2009
133. Arie Dielsen (Australia), 8:44:37, 51.64 in 2009
134. Tony Parbery (Australia) 7:09:24, 51.58 in 2007
135. Max Naismith (Australia), 8:00:05, 51.55 in 2000
136. Nick Newton (Australia), 10:34:22, 51.50 in 2006
137. Brian Perriam (Australia), 10:54:04, 51.47 in 2006
138. William Newitt (South Africa), 8:18:11, 51.44 in 2000
139. Peter Sapwell (Australia), 7:16:49, 51.40 in 2001
140. Yvonne Mutton (Australia), 6:35:57, 51.34 in 2010
141. Cliff Howkins (Australia), 8:18:14, 51.29 in 1999
142. Brian Cook (Australia), 10:13:29, 51.26 in 2006
143. Jeremy Allen (Australia), 5:46:06, 51.21 in 2001
144. Ian McKay (Australia), 8:42:08, 51.14 in 2002
145. Selwyn Jellie (Australia), 7:00:40, 51.13 in 2008
146. Tom Clarke (Australia), 7:01:22, 51.10 in 1998
147. Kate Mason (Australia), 8:04:27, 51.09 in 2010
148. Selwyn Jellie (Australia), 9:38:12, 51.06 in 2008
149. John Vergeer (Australia), 8:42:49, 51.03 in 2000
150. Andrew Martin (South Africa), 7:38:27, 50.94 in 2002
151. Pat Manning (Ireland) , 7:57:03, 50.89 in 2002
152. David Craig (Australia), 6:41:38, 50.83 in 2002
153. Doug Craig (Australia), 7:07:26, 50.83 in 2002
154. Peter Coyle (Australia), 12:10:07, 50.81 in 1999
155. Peter Tanham (Australia), 5:44:18, 50.74 in 2010
156. Ian Wallace (Australia), 9:08:58, 50.76 in 2002
157. Masafumi Hoshi (Japan), 7:40:32, 50.71 in 2006
158. Tony Kriening (Australia), 8:52:37, 50.71 in 2008
159. Christopher Palfrey (Australia), 5:54:30, 50.58 in 2008
160. Bruce Hale (Australia), 9:33:12, 50.53 in 2008
161. Tony Parbery (Australia), 11:05:24, 50.51 in 2006
162. Toby Regan (Australia), 9:35:00, 50.43 in 1956
163. Hedley Skehan (Australia), 7:21:59, 50.41 in 2008
164. Jeremy McGrade (Australia), 7:36:08, 50.39 in 2009
165. Carrol Wannel (Australia), 7:15:28, 50.37 in 1994
166. Mark Lewis (Australia), 6:12:42, 50.36 in 2009
167. David Cooke (Australia), 10:11:11, 50.33 in 2001
168. Viki Shelver (Australia), 6:14:39, 50.30 in 2005
169. Trevor Pedler (Australia), 7:09:13, 50.24 in 1995
170. Jeremy Allen (Australia), 5:28:51, 50.21 in 2000
171. Selwyn Jellie (Australia) 7:43:25, 50.14 in 2007
172. Ray Dixon (Australia), 5:33:34, 50.12 in 1997
173. Tom Clarke (Australia), 5:59:42, 50.11 in 1997
174. Bruce Hyde (Australia), 6:09:42, 50.06 in 1996
175. Bett Montgomery (Australia), 7:19:16, 50.03 in 1999