Shelley Taylor-Smith On WOWSA Live

Sponsored by KAATSU Global, Huntington Beach, California.

In a throwback episode (from December 2010) of Open Water Wednesday (the precursor to WOWSA Live), 7-time world professional marathon swimming champion Shelley Taylor-Smith spoke with Steven Munatones on a variety of topics.

Taylor-Smith had several incredible seasons on the professional circuit, but few were as successful as 1991. That year, among other things, the Australian dual inductee in the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame won a memorable mano-a-mano battle with American Jay Wilkerson in the 36.2 km Atlantic City Around-the-Island Swim in New Jersey where the duo went stroke-for-stroke down the back bay of Atlantic City.

With that close victory in the International Marathon Swimming Association race, she finally turned the tables on the top men in the world. In the weeks leading up to this race, she had finished second overall in the 42 km Traversée Internationale du lac Memphrémagog and second overall in the 40 km Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean.

The 29-year-old Australian recalled, “My coach and handler extraordinaire Nancy Schnarr had supported and guided me in Atlantic City for 3 years where we finished first overall in 1991, first overall in 1992, and third overall in 1993.”

The announcers at the race sponsor, Maloney’s Tavern Beef and Beer Restaurant, described the race, “A classic duel at a blistering pace and it highlights one the great elements of open water marathon swimming – women compete on an equal level with men.”

Copyright © 2008 – 2020 by World Open Water Swimming Association