Michael Spalding, who was the last person to successfully crossed the Alenuihāhā Channel from the Big Island of Hawaii to Maui in 2011, reported that fellow Hawaii channel swimmer Tina Neill (USA, 59, MSF bio here) realized a dream swim from the very isolated Upolu Point on the island of Hawaii to Kaupō, a similarly remote, sparsely populated community on the island of Maui.
The 47.6 km relatively tranquil ocean swim took the Kailua-Kona resident in 22 hours 14 minutes with Spalding, Bubba McLean, Ethan Romanchuk, Don Dietz, and John Storm onboard her escort boat as her support team.
Spalding reported, “It was a most remarkable accomplishment. The conditions were idea. This was a lifelong ambition to swim this channel. Way to throw down.”
Neill has a prolific marathon swimming career including
- a backstroke crossing of the English Channel in 13 hours 22 minutes in 2005
- a two-way 22 hour 2 minute crossing of the Catalina Channel in 2008
- a backstroke crossing of the Catalina Channel in 10 hours 37 minutes in 2008
- a backstroke crossing of the Catalina Channel in 13 hours 27 minutes in 2014
- a 17 hour 17 minute crossing of the Molokai Channel
- an 83.7 km crossing of the San Clemente Channel in 28 hours 41 minutes in 2012
- a backstroke crossing of Lake Tahoe in 14 hours 25 minutes in 2024
Only four others have completed this mighty Alenuihāhā Channel in the middle of the Pacific Ocean before:
- Harry Huffaker (USA, MSF bio here) in 20 hours 8 minutes in 1970 at the age of 30
- Penny Palfrey (Australia, MSF bio here) in 14 hours 51 minutes in 2009 at the age of 46
- Linda Kaiser (USA, MSF bio here) in 16 hours 10 minutes in 2009 at the age of 57
- Michael Spalding (USA, 76, MSF bio here) in 19 hours 46 minutes in 2011 at the age of 62
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