Woman, 70, swims California channel for brother
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Kidney transplant recipient Martin Twomey with his grandson, Harry.Image 2 of 6
Maura just after completing the swim.Image 3 of 6
Maura in a post-swim dry robe as her team unpacks the boat.Image 4 of 6
Moments before her epic swim got underway.Image 5 of 6
Irish woman Maura Twomey swimming California’s Catalina Channel as dawn breaks over the water.Image 6 of 6
Maura approaching her starting point.The sister of a Cork kidney transplant recipient has swum into the history books in the USA, inspired by her brother’s courageous fight for a second chance at life.
Boston-based Irish woman Maura Twomey (70) has become the oldest person to successfully cross California’s 32.5km Catalina Channel in a sub-16 hour swim.
Ms Twomey made the crossing on 17 August in an unofficial time of 15:45:23, pending ratification.
In doing so, Maura, a former primary school teacher, became the oldest person to complete the Catalina channel crossing, while also achieving the triple crown of open water swimming: the English Channel, the 20 Bridges Swim, and the Catalina Channel, three of the world’s most prestigious marathon open-water swims.
Marua recalled: “The swim began in 12-knot winds, chop, and swells that never completely settled. During the final hours, conditions became even more challenging, with winds rising to approximately 20 knots, pushing me off course and turning the closing stages into a battle against the elements.”
However, for Maura, the incredible feat was never about breaking records; it was about honouring her brother, Martin Twomey, who lives in Douglas in Cork city.
Martin, who lost his wife Catherine to a brain aneurysm three years ago, received a life-changing kidney transplant in June of this year from a deceased donor. Martin had been on dialysis for two and a half years when he got the transplant.
Maura undertook the Catalina Channel challenge not only in honour of her brother, but also to raise funds for the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) and to highlight the extraordinary generosity of donor families.
“Martin always put the welfare of his family before his own,” said Maura.
She continued: “Several of us offered to donate a kidney, but he didn’t want any of us to take that risk. He chose to wait, and eventually that call came in June. The transplant at Beaumont Hospital has given him his life back.”
For Martin, receiving the transplant has brought enormous gratitude, but his thoughts remain with the family of the donor whose death made his second chance possible.
“I know what it is like to be on both sides of organ donation,” he said.
“When Catherine died, knowing that her organs and heart valves were donated gave our family some comfort because other families were given more time with the people they loved.
“I hope my donor’s family can find that same comfort. I will always be thinking of them and be grateful for the gift they have given me,” said Martin.
Martin, the youngest of fourteen siblings, also expressed his gratitude to his nephrologist Dr Eva Long and all the staff at CUH and Beaumont Hospital for their excellent care.
Today, as Martin’s health continues to improve, he is immensely proud of what his sister has achieved.
He said: “I couldn’t be prouder of Maura. What she has done at 70 is incredible. Knowing that she was swimming with my story in her heart makes it even more special. I know how hard the Catalina Channel must have been for her to swim, and I know she had to dig very deep to keep going. I am very proud to call her my sister.”
To make a donation to IKA, visit idonate.ie/fundraiser/mauratwomey3.