The Feminine Code of Achievement
The Feminine Code of Achievement - How a Lady from Down Under Revolutionised Professional Marathon Swimming Globally for Both Men and Women is a presentation by 7-time world professional marathon swimming champion Shelley Taylor-Smith about the historical emergence of women in the professional marathon swimming world where the catalyst of change was the unprecedented 1991 season by Taylor-Smith.
Shelley Taylor-Smith
Taylor-Smith is inducted in both the International Swimming Hall of Fame (2009) and the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (1989) for her exploits as a seven-time world professional marathon swimming champion. She is also one of the longest serving volunteers on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee (TOWSC) and a member of the board of directors of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. She has been a keynote speaker at the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Global Open Water Swimming Conference and the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Nicknamed Queen Shelley, she won the inaugural FINA World Swimming Championship 25 km in Australia in 1990 and held the professional women’s No.1 world ranking from 1988 to 1995. She set and still holds the world record for the 48 km (28.5-mile) Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and several professional marathon swims around the world. She earned an unprecedented overall No.1 world ranking on the World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation circuit for both men and women in 1991 - a feat that has never been accomplished by any other woman in any other athletic endeavor going up head-to-head against men.
Alan Jones says, "Shelley Taylor-Smith is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen and probably one of Australia's most unsung heroes."
Achievements
Shelley's achievements include:
- 7 consecutive Women's No. 1 Marathon Swimming Rankings
- 1991 World No.1 Ranking in Marathon Swimming (overall for both men and women)
- 15 World Marathon Swim Records
- 4 World Championship 25K gold medals
- 4 Pan Pacific Swimming Championship 25K gold medals
In her 15 years of international competition she has been awarded:
- 4 times World and Australian Long Distance Swimmer of the Year
- Australian Female Athlete of the Year
- Guinness Book of World Records for fastest time overall in New York's 48K Manhattan Island swim
- Guinness Book of World Records for her epic swim Sydney - Wollongong 79K record swim (smashing the record by more than 15 hours)
- Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow Medal 2002
- Australian Sports Medal Recipient 2000
- 'MV Shelley Taylor-Smith' Ferry, Perth Western Australia
- Advance Australia Award
- Australian of the Year Finalist 1989 & 1991
- Australian Female Athlete of the Year 1991
- World Long Distance/Open Water Swimmer of the Year 1988-1994
- Australian Long Distance/Open Water Swimmer of Year 1991, 1993, 1997
- Induction into USA Amateur Sports Hall of Fame
She has also been awarded:
- As a two-time finalist in the Australian of the Year Award
- This Is Your Life recipient
- The Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow Award
- Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges
- National Dean's List of USA
- The College of Education Dean's List USA
- Gamma Beta Phi Honour Society
- Omicron Delta Kappa Honour Society
- Honorary Secretary FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee (TOWSC)
- Australia Day Ambassador
- Ambassador: Youth Off The Streets & Humpty Dumpty Foundation
- Vice-Patron of Life Education (NSW)
- Patron of Western Australian Open Water Swimming Association
- Patron of Rottnest Channel Swimming Association
- Clean Up Australia Day Spokesperson
- Chairperson FINA Athletes Commission (1998-2000)
- FINA Athletes Representative (1989-2000)
Video
External Links
- Champion Mindset Twitter feed by Shelley Taylor-Smith
- Champion Mindset
- Open Water Swimming Mastery
- The Champion Mindset Of Shelley Taylor-Smith
- Open Water Swimming website
- 2012 Olympic Marathon Swimming 10km Coverage
- Open Water Is Not An Old Mission At Mission Viejo
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Shelley Taylor-Smith, Pioneering Administrator
- Everyday Heroes Swimming Breast In The West
- A Flashback On A Life Started With A Back Brace
- Dangerous When Wet, Especially With Blue Bottles
- People Who Changed The World Of Open Water Swimming
- 30 Open Water Swimmers Known By One Name
- Look Behind And Below You In The Open Water
- Swimming Fast And Slow With Stops Between
- Ties Between Carissa Moore And Shelley Taylor-Smith
- Sayings From The Open Water Swimming World
- Darren Miller's Rock Solid Six Pack
- The Value Of Safety And Preparedness In The Open Water
- Swimming With The Boys
- Different Reactions To Jellyfish Stings
- Women Swimming Circles Around Manhattan Island
- Aussie Rules Swimming, Paul Newsome Carries On
- The Perfect Female Open Water Swimmer
- An Exercise In Open Water Swimming Democracy
- Melissa Cunningham Honored Around The World
- 2013 World Open Water Swimming Woman Of The Year Nominees
- Sandra Bucha Inducted In International Marathon Swimming Hall Of Fame
- A Champion Mindset Through And Through
- Shelley Taylor-Smith, Legend Retires Leaving A Huge Wake
- What Makes Great Swimmers?
- It's Where I Am Home
- Dangers, Risks: Who's Responsible In The Open Water?
- The Unsung Heroes Of Yesteryear's Atlantic City Race
- Experimentation In The Sport Of Open Water Swimming
- PB's In Rotto
- Are You Ready For The Open Water?
- Men And Women Swimming Together In The Open Water
- Women versus Men In The Open Water World
- The Uniqueness Of Rob Copeland
- The Perfect Ideal Of A Female Swimmer
- Peacefully Running Along The Coast
- Sandra Bucha Inducted In ISHOF
- Historical Revolution: The Feminine Code Of Achievement
