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CHIChileSport:SwimmingBárbara Hernández Huerta is a Chilean marathon and ice swimmer whose career connects long ocean crossings with the cold-water environments behind her nickname, the Ice Mermaid. Her International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame biography identifies her as an Honor Swimmer in its class of 2026 and recognises her contribution to the visibility of women in Chilean and South American open-water swimming.
Her Oceans Seven journey included Gibraltar in 2018, followed by Catalina and the English Channel in 2019. The Catalina federation records 10:11:41 on 5 June; the Channel federation lists 12:13:00 on 2 August. She added Molokai in May 2021 and completed the seven-channel challenge with Tsugaru in June 2024. In an interview after that achievement, she described teamwork, ocean conservation and adapting to changing conditions as central to her approach.
Hernández returned to the English Channel in 2025 for a continuous return crossing. The federation records 27:18:48, comprising 13:20:47 to France and 13:58:01 back to England. In her subsequent account, she described injuring an ankle at the French turn and facing worsening weather on the return. Her profile therefore follows both the progression of her crossings and the people and preparation that made them possible.
Oceans Seven finisher · two-way English Channel in 27:18:48
Also recorded as Barbara Hernandez, Bárbara Hernández.
Crossing details, recordings & verificationSolo swim
Friday, 2 August 2019 (recorded swim date)
England to France
Elapsed time · 12h 13m 0s
Start clock · Clock time not confirmed
Finish clock · Clock time not confirmed
Published account checked · See the crossing record for qualifications and supporting evidence.
Solo swim
Wednesday, 30 July 2025 (recorded swim date)
England to France to England
Elapsed time · 27h 18m 48s
Start clock · Clock time not confirmed
Finish clock · Clock time not confirmed
Published account checked · See the crossing record for qualifications and supporting evidence.
Open-water swimming · Solo swim
Wednesday, 5 June 2019 (event date)
Catalina Island to the California mainland
Completed a solo Catalina-to-mainland crossing.
Elapsed time · 10h 11m 41s
Published account checked · Details and qualifications are in the career evidence.
Open-water swimming · Solo swim
Sunday, 23 May 2021 (event date)
Hawaii
Completed a solo Molokai Channel crossing.
Elapsed time · 15h 41m
Published account checked · Details and qualifications are in the career evidence.
Friday, 10 August 2018
The athlete interview dates the Gibraltar swim to 10 August 2018.
Wednesday, 5 June 2019
CCSF lists a successful solo crossing in 10:11:41.
Friday, 2 August 2019
CS&PF lists 12:13:00 with Neil Streeter aboard Suva.
Sunday, 23 May 2021
The athlete chronology dates the swim to 23 May; the association lists 15:41 in May 2021.
Friday, 14 June 2024
The original athlete interview identifies Tsugaru on 14 June as the final crossing.
Wednesday, 30 July 2025
The annual record gives 27:18:48 for England–France–England.
2026
IMSHOF lists Hernández Huerta as a 2026 Honor Swimmer.
Achievements update from recorded results. A tick means the supporting results are verified.
No eligible completed results are linked yet. Link a completed result to start the achievement collection.
First recorded finish
1 more finish needed
0 of 1 recorded
Selected swimming performances appear in the English Channel record above.
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