Barra Award for Overall Year

The Barra Award, named for David Barra, recognizes the most prolific year of marathon swimming, all considered. The Barra Award considers an individual’s full body of work in the sport, including swims, event organizing, community-building, leadership, and other contributions.

Finalists - Women

Amy Appelhans Gubser

Date Swim Dist (km) Time/Place
Apr 26 SCAR - Saguaro Lake 13.3 3:58:17 (23/40)
Apr 27 SCAR - Canyon Lake 14.1 4:05:17 (22/40)
Apr 28 SCAR - Apache Lake 22.8 9:01:33 (3/36)
Apr 29 SCAR - Roosevelt Lake 9.0 3:12:48 (17/36)
Jun 23 Anacapa Island to Oxnard 19.6 6:02:59
Jul 29 Border Buster (Lake Memphremagog) 25 8:26:16 (14/33)
Sep 23 Monterey Bay - Santa Cruz to Monterey 40.3 17:49:05

Abigail Fairman

Date Swim Dist (km) Time/Place
Apr 26 SCAR - Saguaro Lake 13.3 3:50:34 (15/40)
Apr 27 SCAR - Canyon Lake 14.1 3:42:19 (7/40)
Apr 28 SCAR - Apache Lake 22.8 8:37:26 (2/36)
Apr 29 SCAR - Roosevelt Lake 9.0 3:04:17 (10/36)
Jun 15 8 Bridges - Stage 1 29.5 5:27:43 (4/17)
Jun 16 8 Bridges - Stage 2 31.9 6:24:52 (3/18)
Jun 17 8 Bridges - Stage 3 21.2 4:19:59 (8/17)
Jun 18 8 Bridges - Stage 4 24.1 5:36:29 (8/18)
Jun 20 8 Bridges - Stage 5 31.9 7:45:40 (3/15)
Jun 21 8 Bridges - Stage 6 25.3 3:47:45 (5/21)
Jun 22 8 Bridges - Stage 7 29.9 5:47:39 (5/15)
Jul 29 Border Buster (Lake Memphremagog) 25 7:29:43 (8/33)
Aug 19 Rose Pitonof Swim 27.3 4:42:00 (1/5)
Aug 26 Lake George 10K 10 3:03:39 (11/38)
Sep 1 Bender Memorial Swim 12.9 4:01:12 (7/19)
Sep 17 NYOW Spuyten Duyvil 10.5 1:36:30 (43/176)
Sep 23 3 Rivers Marathon Swim 30 9:07:34 (4/10)
Oct 1 Swim Around Charleston 19.3 5:22:38 (18/39)
Oct 8 Bermuda Round-the-Sound 10 3:04:26 (22/)

Shorter swims:

  • 2 Bridges - Hudson River - 5km
  • Poseidon Swim - Indianapolis - 2km
  • CIBBOWS Triple Dip - 3 mi

Service

  • Coaches Red Tide Masters (NYC)
  • Observer and crew for NY Open Water
  • Organized and led (2) open water beach sessions for pool swimmers new to open water swimming.

Sandra Frimerman-Bergquist

Date Swim Dist (km) Time/Place
Apr 26 SCAR - Saguaro Lake 13.3 3:04:53 (1/40)
Apr 27 SCAR - Canyon Lake 14.1 3:18:19 (3/40)
Apr 29 SCAR - Roosevelt Lake 9.0 2:27:53 (1/36)
Jun 4 Chattanooga Swim Fest 14.8 2:07:45 (2/98)
Jun 17 END-WET Red River Swim 58 10:33:00 (1/10)
Jul 29 Border Buster (Lake Memphremagog) 25 5:49:55 (1/33)
Aug 12 Minnetonka Challenge 16 3:47:57 (1/)
Oct 1 Swim Around Charleston 19.3 4:31:47 (1/39)
Oct 14 Swim the Suck 16 3:16:51 (1/105)

Shorter swims:

  • Lake Harriet, MN - 1 mile & 2 miles
  • Lake Rebecca, MN - 5K
  • Madison, WI - 5K
  • Lake Michigan - Milwaukee, WI - 5K
  • Lake Superior - Duluth, MN - 5K

Service

  • Minnesota LMSC Open Water Safety Chair
  • USMS Adult Learn-to-Swim Instructor.
  • Support crew for “In Search of Memphre.”

Jaimie Monahan

Date Swim Dist (km) Time/Place
Jun 2 Mercer Island Marathon Swim 20 8:39 (5/6)
Jul 10 Lake Memphremagog - Newport to Magog 40.2 14:18
Jul 29 40 Bridges Double Manhattan Swim 91.8 20:12:061 (1/6)
Aug 6 Thames River Marathon 14 3:12
Aug 19 Rose Pitonof Swim 27.3 5:02 (4/5)
Aug 29 Lake Maggiore 59.4 24:02:002
Oct 14 Verrazano Bridge to Marine Pkwy 16 3:40

1 course record
2 first

Shorter swims: Strait of Magellan - 4 km in 1:10

Ice Swimming/Winter Swimming

  • First person to complete Ice Sevens Challenge through IISA (ice miles in Morocco, Norway, New Zealand, US, and Argentina in 2017)
  • US Winter Swimming National Champion, women’s 25 and 50 breaststroke
  • Age group silver medal at IISA 1k World Championships in Burghausen, Germany
  • Age group winner and second female overall for the 2017 IWSA World Cup, representing the US at events in Latvia, Russia, China, and England

Support

  • President, Lake Geneva Swim Association
  • Organizing Committee Member, Memphremagog Winter Swimming Society
  • Observer, kayaker, volunteer and/or swim angel for various NYOW, CIBBOWS, UrbanSwim, and LGSA events

Courtney Paulk

Date Swim Dist (km) Time/Place
Jul 29 40 Bridges Double Manhattan Swim 91.8 20:15:55 (2/6)
Oct 12 Catalina Channel two-way 64.6 33:13:001

1 First to complete “doubles” of two legs of the Triple Crown.

Shorter swims:

  • Loch Allua - 8 km
  • CIBBOWS Triple Dip - 3 miles
  • NYOW Spuyten Duyvil - 10.5 km

Finalists - Men

John Batchelder

Date Swim Dist (km) Time/Place
Apr 2 Tampa Bay Marathon Swim 37 14:41:00*
Apr 22 Swim Around Lido Key 11.2 2:46:26 (12/122)
Apr 26 SCAR - Saguaro Lake 13.3 4:02:06*
Apr 27 SCAR - Canyon Lake 14.1 4:40:28*
Apr 29 SCAR - Roosevelt Lake 9.0 3:33:50*
Jun 17 END-WET 58 13:55:00*
Jul 9 Portland Bridge Swim 17 4:59:00*
Jul 16 Castle 10K 10 2:25:43 (2/7)
Aug 9 20 Bridges Manhattan Swim 45.9 7:36:30*
Sep 11 In Search of Memphre 40.2 17:09:00*
Sep 23 3 Rivers Marathon Swim 30 10:10:40*
Oct 1 Swim Around Charleston 19.3 5:32:24*
Oct 14 Swim the Suck 16 3:38:01 (8/105)

* all butterfly

Lynton Mortensen

Date Swim Dist (km) Time/Place
Feb 25 Rottnest Channel Swim 19.7 8:28:41 (187/306)
Mar 25 Port to Pub 25 9:46:19 (18/??)
Jun 30 English Channel 33.8 12:35:00
Jul 17 North Channel 35 13:49:17
Aug 19 20 Bridges Manhattan Swim 45.9 7:18:40 (3/11)
Sep 27 Catalina Channel 32.3 13:59:28

Stephen Rouch

Date Swim Dist (km) Time/Place
Apr 26 SCAR - Saguaro Lake 13.3 3:50:34 (15/40)
Apr 27 SCAR - Canyon Lake 14.1 3:42:19 (7/40)
Apr 28 SCAR - Apache Lake 22.8 8:37:26 (2/36)
Apr 29 SCAR - Roosevelt Lake 9.0 3:04:17 (10/36)
Jun 4 Chattanoga Swim Fest 14.8 2:11:08 (5/98)
Jun 15 8 Bridges - Stage 1 29.5 5:18:19 (1/17)
Jun 16 8 Bridges - Stage 2 31.9 5:47:46 (1/18)
Jun 17 8 Bridges - Stage 3 21.2 3:51:48 (1/17)
Jun 18 8 Bridges - Stage 4 24.1 4:51:09 (1/18)
Jun 20 8 Bridges - Stage 5 31.9 7:10:52 (1/15)
Jun 21 8 Bridges - Stage 6 25.3 3:28:26 (1/21)
Jun 22 8 Bridges - Stage 7 29.9 5:10:09 (1/15)
Jul 29 Border Buster (Lake Memphremagog) 25 6:25:48 (2/33)
Aug 20 Swim to the Moon 10 2:23:51 (6/142)
Sep 23 3 Rivers Marathon Swim 30 7:27:26 (1/10)
Oct 14 Swim the Suck 16 3:30:24 (5/105)

Shorter swims:

  • CIBBOWS Triple Dip - 3 miles
  • NYOW Spuyten Duyvil - 10.5K

Service

  • USMS Level 3 certified coach and Adult Learn-to-Swim Instructor.
  • Team representative to Greater Indiana Masters Swimming board.