Atina Bojadži, The Ohrid Dolphin
Atina Bojadži, The Ohrid Dolphin
Courtesy of WOWSA, Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia.
Lake Ohrid is a lake nestled between the mountainous borders of North Macedonia and eastern Albania. A deep lake with a unique aquatic ecosystem with more than 200 endemic species, it is also near the birthplace of Atina Bojadži (Macedonian: Атина Бојаџи).
Bojadži passed away in 2010 and was known as the Ohrid Dolphin. A swimmer from Macedonian Yugoslavia, she had a 1977 movie made about her 13 hour 20 minute English Channel crossing in 1969 and was later honored her after Macedonia declared its independence in 1991.
She won the 1962 30 km Ohrid Lake Swim Marathon and won the 36 km Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli and was a fixture on the professional marathon swimming circuit for years in the 1960s.
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Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor – Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame’s Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming’s Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University’s John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff.