Karen Ennis

Karen Ennis is a 53-year-old British ice swimmer and channel swimmer from the UK who is part of Team Ennis and an Oceans Seven swimmer.

Open Water Swimming Highlights

• On 18 June 2026, she completed a 19.5 km crossing of the Tsugaru Channel from Aomori to Hokkaido in northern Japan to achieve the Oceans Seven in 13 hours 14 minutes.
• On 19 January 2019, she completed her first Ice Mile at Hatfield Outdoor Activity Centre in Doncaster, UK in 42 minutes 23 seconds in in water temperature of 4.63°C.
• She raises money and awareness for Alder Hey Children's Charity with her channel swimming.
• On 26 August 2017, she completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel in 16 hours 45 minutes at the age of 45.
• On 18 July 2019, she completed a 32.3 km crossing of the Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California in 15 hours 20 minutes at the age of 47.
• On 15 April 2023, she completed a 14.4 km crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco in 5 hours 57 minutes at the age of 51.
• On 14 August 2023, she completed a 35 km crossing of the North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 13 hours 1 minutes at the age of 51.
• On 25 October 2023, she completed a 45 km crossing of the Molokai Channel from Molokai Island to Oahu in Hawaii in 21 hours 0 minutes at the age of 51. Her escort boat captain and observer was Manoa Buckman.
• On , she completed a 23 km crossing of the Cook Strait in New Zealand in hours minutes
• On 19 July 2025, she attempted a 19.5 km crossing of the Tsugaru Channel from Aomori to Hokkaido in northern Japan at the age of 53 with crew members Jane Smalley, Janet Wilkinson, Erin Quinlan, and Anthony Hardie, but the swim was aborted due to a shoulder injury (torn ligaments).

Oceans Seven Journey

• English Channel in 16 hours 45 minutes in August 2017
• Catalina Channel in 15 hours 20 minutes in July 2019
• Strait of Gibraltar in 5 hours 57 minutes in April 2023
• North Channel in 13 hours 1 minute in August 2023
• Molokai Channel in 21 hours 0 minutes in October 2023
• Cook Strait in 8 hours 33 minutes in March 2025
• Tsugaru Channel successful attempt on 18 June 2026

Oceans Seven Swimmers

As of 17 July 2026, 52 humans in history have completed the Oceans Seven:

1st: Stephen Redmond (Ireland)
2nd: Anna-Carin Nordin (Sweden)
3rd: Michelle Macy (USA)
4th: Darren Miller (USA)
5th: Adam Walker (UK)
6th: Kimberley Chambers (New Zealand)
7th: Antonio Argüelles (Mexico)
8th: Ion Lazarenco Tiron (Moldavia/Ireland)
9th: Rohan Dattatrey More (India)
10th: Abhejali Bernardová (Czech Republic)
11th: Cameron Bellamy (South Africa)
12th: Lynton Mortensen (Australia)
13th: Thomas Pembroke (Australia)
14th: Nora Toledano Cadena (Mexico)
15th: Mariel Hawley Davila (Mexico)
16th: André Wiersig (Germany)
17th: Elizabeth Fry (USA)
18th: Attila Mányoki (Hungary)
19th: Jonathan Ratcliffe (UK)
20th: Jorge Crivilles Villanueva (Spain)]
21st: Adrian Sarchet (Guernsey)
22nd: Prabhat Koli (India)
23rd: Dina Levačić (Croatia)
24th: Herman van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
25th: Andy Donaldson (Scotland)
26th: Stephen Junk (Australia)
27th: Kieron Palframan (South Africa)
28th: Bárbara Hernández Huerta (Chile)
29th: Mark Sowerby (Australia)
30th: Paul Georgescu (Romania)
31st: Zach Margolis (USA)
32nd: Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria)
33rd: Nathalia Pohl (Germany)
34th: Caitlin O’Reilly (New Zealand at the age of 20 years 7 months 15 days)
35th: Ryan Utsumi (USA)
36th: Marcia Cleveland (USA)
37th: Eduardo Collazos Valle-Guayo (Peru)
38th: Rob Woodhouse (Australia)
39th: Alessandra Rossi Cima (Brazil)
40th: Bengisu Avci (Turkey)
41st: Simon Olliver (New Zealand)
42nd: Andreas Waschburger (Germany)
43rd: Joanne Norman (Australia)
44th: Paul Leonard (Great Britain)
45th: Gráinne Moss (Ireland)
46th: Karen Ennis (Great Britain)
47th: Rob Lea (USA) who simultaneously achieved history's first Double Sevens
48th: Anshuman Jhingran (India) at 21 years 3 months and 17 days
49th: Joe Zemaitis (USA) the first person to complete the Oceans Seven and the Stillwater 8
50th: Bogusław Ogrodnik (Poland)
51st: Toni Enderli (Switzerland)
52nd: Steve Leitch (USA)

External links

• Anshuman Jhingran Achieves The Oceans Seven
• The Summer of Oceans Seven: First Up Is Gráinne Moss, Karen Ennis, and Paul Leonard
• It Was Tough, But Paul Leonard Achieves The Oceans Seven
• Gráinne Moss Gets It Done and Achieves The Oceans Seven
• Karen Ennis Achieves The Oceans Seven
• Oceans Seven Swimmers Taming The Dragon Across The Tsugaru Channel
• The 2026 Tsugaru Channel Season: Foreigners Freestyling in the Far East
• Marathon Swimmers Federation bio
• Karen Ennis – She Came, She Swam, She Will Return (to Tsugaru in her Quest for the Oceans Seven)
• Karen Ennis – 6 Down and 1 to Go As She Heads to Tsugaru in her Quest for the Oceans Seven
• Daily News of Open Water Swimming
• Arctic, Antarctica, BiPolar Ice Swimmers Announced by the International Ice Swimming Association
• Sophia Nash’s Extreme Swim To Become An Iron Icewoman
• Karen's Ice Mile and Oceans 7
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• Open Water Swimming