Michelle Macy
Michelle Macy is a 40-year-old American marathon swimmer from Oregon who is considered to be one of the world's most accomplished marathon swimmers who began swimming at a young age and was a competitive swimmer through college. She created the Stillwater 8.
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Open Water Swimming Career Highlights
- On 6 December 2016, she crossed the Beagle Channel from Glacier Italia on Tierra del Fuego to Gordon Island in Chile, a 2 km crossing in 6.4°C (45°F) water in 44 minutes 51 seconds that established a new swim route offered by Patagonia Swim.
- On 28 November 2016, she set the female record crossing the Straits of Magellan in Chile in 58 minutes 14 seconds, breaking the record of Lynne Cox in 1 hour 2 minutes in 1966
- She was the third person in history to achieve the Oceans Seven.
- She created the Still Water Eight in October 2011.
- She crossed the English Channel three times in 2006, 2009, and 2012. Her crossing of 10 hours 2 minutes in September 2006 was the fastest American swimming under a Channel Swimming Association sanction.
- She is a member of the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
- She is a lifetime member of both the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation and the Santa Barbara Channel Swimming Association.
- She completed the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in 2008 in 6 hours 55 minutes.
- She holds record in the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland.
- She holds the record across the Anacapa Channel between Anacapa Island and the California mainland.
- She was nominated as the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year for her achievement of the Oceans Seven and her generous help of other open water swimmers.
- She was named to the list of World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women by the World Open Water Swimming Association in 2015.
- She was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Swimmer in its Class of 2019.
- She is scheduled to participate in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge transatlantic course as a stage relay in 2021 together with Mark Pollard, Mickey Helps, David Kimber, and Mike Baumann.
Oceans Seven
Macy was the third person in history to achieve the Oceans Seven and complete all seven of the world's major channels:
- 33.5 km across the English Channel from England to France in 10 hours 2 minutes in 2006, in 11 hours 46 minutes in 2009, and in 10 hours 45 minutes in 2012.
- 32.3 km across the Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the California mainland in 10 hours 12 minutes in 2008.
- 35 km across the North Channel in 9 hours 34 minutes 39 seconds on 15 July 2014, a record from Northern Ireland to Scotland
- 14.4 km across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco in 4 hours 49 minutes in 2011.
- 23 km across the Cook Strait in New Zealand in 8 hours 2 minutes in 2010.
- 42 km across the Molokai Channel from Molokai to Oahu in 14 hours 12 minutes in 2011.
- 19.5 km across the Tsugaru Channel from Honshu to Hokkaido in Japan in 8 hours 55 minutes to set women's record in 2012.
2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year Nomination
Macy was nominated for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year. Her nomination reads:
Her love of the sport knows no limits, she serves as support crew as readily as she dives in the water for her own marathon swims. Michelle Macy was the first American and third person overall to achieve the Oceans Seven. The full-time Nike employee takes enough time out of her busy work schedule to become one of the most prolific and accomplished open water swimmers in contemporary times. Without sponsors and without hype, the friendly, thoughtful, seriously-minded swimmer moves about the globe to cross channels and help others in their own quests. For her world record time across the North Channel, for her achievement of the Oceans Seven, for her joyful willingness to crew for other swimmers around the world, Michelle Macy is a worthy nominee for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year.
Open Water Swim Experience
2006
Lake Minnetonka Challenge (5 miles) – Minnetonka, Minnesota
Pennock Island Challenge (8.2 miles) – Ketchikan, Alaska
2006
Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim (1.5 miles) – San Francisco, California
Pennock Island Challenge (8.2 miles) – Ketchikan, Alaska
English Channel (21 miles) – Dover, England in 10:02
2008
Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (28.5 miles) – New York City, New York
Boston Light Swim (8 miles) – Boston, Masschusetts
Pennock Island Challenge (8.2 miles) – Ketchikan, Alaska
Alcatraz Challenge (2 miles) – San Francisco, California
Catalina Channel (21 miles) – San Pedro, California
2009
Lake Taupo Triple Relay Crossing (120k) – Taupo, New Zealand
English Channel (21 miles) – Dover, England in 11:46
Pennock Island Challenge (8.2 miles) – Ketchikan, Alaska
Monterey Bay Relay swim (25 miles) – Santa Cruz, California
2010
Cook Strait (19 miles) – Wellington, New Zealand
Clarence Strait (14.5 miles) – Ketchikan, Alaska
Portland Bridge Swim (11 miles) – Portland, Oregon
Pennock Island Challenge (8.2 miles) – Ketchikan, Alaska
Monterey Bay Relay swim (25 miles) – Santa Cruz, California
Kaieiewaho Channel Relay (62 miles) – Oahu to Kauai, Hawaii
2011
EPIC 5 Challenge, 5 Ironmans, 5 Days, 5 Hawaiian Islands – Team Nike Relay, Hawaii
Strait of Gibraltar (12 miles) – Tarifa, Spain at the age of 44
PDX Bridge Swim (11 miles) – Portland, Oregon
Pennock Island Challenge (8.2 miles) – Ketchikan, Alaska
Karen Gaffney Columbia River Swim and Cruise for Kids (6 miles) – Portland, Oregon
Molokai Channel (26 miles) - from Molokai Island to Oahu Island, Hawaii at the age of 44
2012
Tsugaru Channel (48 km) - Honshu to Hokkaido, Japan at the age of 45
English Channel (21 miles) – Dover, England in 10:45 at the age of 45
2014
North Channel (21 miles) - 9 hours 44 minutes (record from Ireland to Scotland) at the age of 46
Anacapa Channel (12.2 miles) - 5 hours 29 minutes (record for women from Anacapa to California mainland)
90 laps of the Willamette River in 11 hours 40 minutes in Portland, Oregon
2014
Jersey-France crossing (18 miles) - 6 hours 42minutes (women's record)
English Channel Swim (2009)
Taupo x 3 Relay
Macy was a member of the Taupo x 3 relay, a three-way crossing of Lake Taupo by a 6-person male team and a 6-person female team of experienced open water swimmers in January 2009. The Taupo x 3 relay teams set a world lake swimming record by completing a 126 km (68.2 miles) triple-crossing of Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand under organisers Chris Palfrey, Penny Palfrey, and Julie Bradshaw. The swim started at 5:44 am on 5 January 2009.
The men's relay team finished in 34 hours 41 minutes 15 seconds and included Steve Junk (Australia), Mark Cockroft (New Zealand), Dougal Hunt (Australia), Chris Palfrey (Australia), and Stephen Spence (Australia) with New Zealand legend Philip Rush as the escort pilot. The women’s relay team finished in 34 hours 44 minutes 45 seconds and included Julie Bradshaw (England), Michelle Macy (USA), Barbara Pellick (Australia), Penny Palfrey (Australia), Lucy Roper (England), and Heather Osborn (New Zealand).
The plan was to start at first light from near Tokaanu, at the southern most point of the lake, heading roughly north east past Motutaiko Island, cutting close to Rangitiri point, before finishing on the beach in front of the Waikato River. The distance by GPS for one lap was 40.2 km. The second lap retraced the course back to the starting point and the final lap was a repeat of the first.
The men finished the first leg of 40.2 km in a time of 10 hours 22 minutes; the women finished in 10 hours 28 minutes. The men finished the second leg of 40.2 km in 12 hours 15 minutes; the women finished in 12 hours 19 minutes. The men finished the third leg of 40.2 km in 10 hours 54 minutes; the women finished in 10 hours 54 minutes. Both teams broke the world relay record set in December 2008 by 2 teams of 50 swimmers, each doing 2 km, who covered 100 km in 46 hours 6 minutes.
Oceans Seven Swimmers
1st: Stephen Redmond (Ireland) 2nd: Anna-Carin Nordin (Sweden) 3rd: Michelle Macy (USA) 4th: Darren Miller (USA) 5th: Adam Walker (UK) 6th: Kimberly 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 Dávila (Mexico) 16th: André Wiersig (Germany) 17th: Liz Fry (USA) 18th: Attila Mányoki (Hungary)
Marathon Swim Stories
She appeared with Shannon House Keegan on Marathon Swim Stories.
External links
- Shannon House Keegan Talks Marathon Swimming Stories
- Kings And Queens Of The Hawaiian Island Channels
- Swim Alternatives To Cross Kealaikahiki Channel and Alalakeiki Channel In Hawaii
- Michelle Macy Talks About Her Open Water Journey On WOWSA Live
- Billy Wallace Recalls North Channel History On WOWSA Live
- From Shore To Shore Across The Atlantic
- The New Stillwater 8
- Attila Mányoki Completes Oceans Seven With A North Channel Crossing
- Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge" - The World's Toughest Row
- Open Water Swimming
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- The World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women
- Santa Barbara Channel Swimming Association
- Michelle Macy Official Website
- Catalina Channel Swimming Federation
- Still Water 8 Announced by Michelle Macy
- Channel Swimming Association
- NYC Swim bio
- Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming
- Oceans Seven List - September 2012
- Ka'iwi Channel Swim, Ready For An Epic Undertaking
- Marine Marks And Memories Among Open Water Swimmers
- Michelle Macy Makes It Three In Oceans Seven
- Michelle Macy's 6-Year Road To The Oceans Seven
- Three's A Charm, En Route With Darren Miller
- World Record Relay In Lake Taupo
- Dealing With Insomnia Before Getting In The Open Water
- Masayuki Moriya Navigating The Pacific With Ocean-navi
- Marathon Swimmer Tackling Willamette River
- Michelle Macy, Humbly Heroic
- 2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman Of The Year Nominees
- Ka’iwi Channel Swim 2.0, Insanely Interesting
- The Magic Of Marisa, Passionate About Portland
- Highlights And History Of the Ka'iwi Channel
- Triple Crowners Showcase Their Fountain Of Youth - Age of Triple Crowners
- Just Did It, Michelle Macy's Record From Jersey To France
- France Rounds Jersey
- Oregonian Sets New In Jersey
- Kimberley Chambers Achieves Oceans Seven
- Record-setting Relays Rock 'N Roll
- What Is The Fairest Channel Of Them All?
- What If...In The Molokai Channel?
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Daily News of Open Water Swimming
- Another Epic Relay Attempt - A Two-way Farallon Relay
- Old Is Nothing New For Catalina Channel Swimmers
- Beach Talks About The Old Men And The Sea
- Michelle Macy Goes The Distance For Women, Children
- 40.2 Challenge Across Lake Taupo
- Tough Tenacious Triumphant Toño, Argüelles' Oceans Seven
- Michelle May Sets Two Records In Patagonia
- Ion Lazarenco Tiron, Oceans Seven First From Moldavia
- One More Becomes Nine In The Oceans Seven
- Abhejali Bernardová Becomes 10th Oceans Seven Swimmer
- Will Cameron Bellamy Become #11?
- Nature Or Nurture In The Open Water
- Cameron Bellamy To Give WOWSA Talk At Olympic Club
- Mosaic Of Marathoners
- Michelle Macy Enters International Marathon Swimming Hall Of Fame
- How Open Water Swimming Initiated A Life Of Adventure
- Royalty Meet-up At Royal Brighton Yacht Club
- Nora Toledano Cadena Achieves The Oceans Seven
- Mariel Hawley Dávila Achieves The Oceans Seven
