Simon Holliday

Simon Holliday is a marathon swimmer based in Hong Kong who serves as a Marathon Swimming Mentor.
Swimming Highlights
• On 9 November 2017, he swam 45 km circumnavigation swim around Hong Kong Island in 12 hours 32 minutes, raising over US$140,000 for Splash Foundation. He was the first man to swim around Hong Kong Island. HK360 Swim broke the existing record with escort pilot Ross Vickers, coach Henry-Thomas Wright, coordinator Shu Pu and girlfriend Maggie Dou.
• On 24 May 2014, he completed 30 km crossing from Hong Kong to Macau in 10 hours 20 minutes, raising over US$25,000 for the Ocean Recovery Alliance. He was the second individual to complete this swim from Hong Kong to Macau. The Clean Cross - Hong Kong to Macau Swim 2014 where he was Walkerized with pink dolphins. He broke the existing record by 15 minutes.
• On 12 August 2011, he completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel from England to France in 15 hours 2 minutes 15 seconds.
• In 2019, he was named one of the World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
• In early August 2019, he competed in the FINA World Masters Championships in Gwangju, South Korea swimming in the 800m, 400m and 200m freestyle events.
• He has taken part in numerous swimming races across Asia, and throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom.
• Along with Libby Alexander, he founded Splash Foundation, Hong Kong’s only charitable organisation providing swimming lessons to thousands of adults and young people from low-income and marginalised communities. As of 2020, they have taught nearly 3,000 people how to swim.
• On 11 October 2014, he completed the 15 km Clean Half Extreme Marathon Swim in Hong Kong in 5 hours 38 minutes 16 seconds.
• On 10 October 2015, he completed the 15 km Clean Half Extreme Marathon Swim in Hong Kong in 4 hours 43 minutes 34 seconds.
• He was scheduled to serve as the Pace swimmer, decoy, bodyguard, and escort for Dan Martin on his Atlantic Ocean swim leg of the Global Triathlon.
• He was the protagonist of the 19-minute documentary film called The Clean Cross.
• He finished 3rd in the 15 km Cold Half Extreme Marathon Swim in Hong Kong (naturally ocean division) on 21 January 2019.
- He finished 6th in the 15 km Cold Half Extreme Swim around Hong Kong Island in 2021.
Published Articles
Holliday has written about swimming history for the South China Morning Post, Outdoor Swimmer Magazine and the World Open Water Swimming Association.
• The burkini-clad swimmers of Hong Kong: domestic helpers get freedom to swim
• Hong Kong’s domestic helpers and marginalised standing tall in the pool
• How Rat won the swimming race to become the first sign of the Chinese Zodiac
• Swimming for freedom – Simon Holliday meets Mrs Chu who swam to Hong Kong for a new life
Videos
HK360 Swim (Scubazoo)
The Clean Cross (Scubazoo)
Intro to Splash Foundation (Scubazoo)
External Links
- Australian Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Honors Linda McGill
- Ned Denison Explains About Marathon Swimming Mentors on WOWSA Live
- Simon Holliday Recalls The History Behind The Chinese Zodiac
- 2020 Cold Half And Cold Plunge In Hong Kong
- 2018 World Open Water Swimming Performance Of The Year Nominees
- 3 For 30 Across Adam’s Bridge In The Palk Strait
- Swimming The Palk Strait
- Splash Foundation
- Alex Fong Lik-sun Sets Record Around Hong Kong
- How to Swim Around Hong Kong Island, Ocean Swimming Reborn
- Open Water Swimming
- Swimming Around Hong Kong Island
- English Channel website
- Simon Holliday Marathon Swimmers Federation bio
- Welcome to the English Channel
- Simon Holliday on Twitter
- Simon Holliday Support Swimmer
- Simon Holliday Linkedin bio
- Simon Holliday On An Adventure From Hong Kong To Macau
- Simon Holliday Swims For Grate Art
- Simon Holliday Explains The Clean Cross
- Swimming For Clarity - The Course
- Simon Is On No Holliday
- Simon Holliday Is Walkerized By White Dolphins
- Moving To Macau, Heading From Hong Kong With Holliday
- Pretty In Pink, Simon Holliday Completes The Clean Cross
- Drafting In Pink
- Scooping Up Data And Debris In The Open Water
- Walkerized In Pink, Presenting The Clean Cross
- Swimming In Your Own Skin
- 3 Seaworthy Vessles
- Swim In Asia
- Open Water Swimming's Holliday In Hong Kong
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- World Open Water Swimming Series
- Open Water Swimming
- Holliday At San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival
- Grate Art To Raise Ocean Awareness
- Simon Holliday Is Making A Splash In Hong Kong
- Simon Holliday Replicates Linda McGill Round Hong Kong
- Simon Holliday Making A Splash In Hong Kong
- HK360 Swim Facebook page
- Making A Splash In The HK360 Swim
- Edie Hu Makes A Big Splash Around Hong Kong Island