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SCOScotlandSport:SwimmingColleen Blair’s swimming career spans sea channels, long freshwater swims, competitive circumnavigations and ice swimming. The Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation’s historical database explicitly identifies her as Scottish. Her successful England-to-France swim took place on 16 August 1998, lasted 13 hours and 55 minutes and finished at Cap Blanc Nez. The entry names Michael Oram as pilot, Aegean Blue as the escort boat and Derek Fowler as observer.
Blair completed the Manhattan Island swim in 2001 and the Catalina Channel in 2014, becoming the first Scottish swimmer credited with the Triple Crown. Her programme also included the North Channel in 2008 and a pioneering North Minch crossing in 2018. These achievements sit within a much broader career across Scottish lochs and international open-water routes.
Her ice-swimming record adds another dimension. The International Ice Swimming Association lists a kilometre swim at Armagh in February 2015 and an Ice Mile at Loch Tay in February 2016, with the latter undertaken in water measured at 4.70°C. Those published rows preserve dates, distances and times separately from her Channel record.
Blair has also organised events, coached open-water swimmers and served as an observer. She received an MBE for services to swimming in 2021 and entered the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2023.
The recorded nationality is Scotland.
Scottish Triple Crown swimmer · Channel, Manhattan and ice swimming
Also recorded as Colleen Isla Blair.
Crossing details, recordings & verificationSolo swim
Sunday, 16 August 1998 (recorded swim date)
England → France
Elapsed time · 13h 55m 0s
Start clock · Clock time not confirmed
Finish clock · Clock time not confirmed
Ratification reported by source · See the crossing record for qualifications and supporting evidence.
Open-water swimming · Race
Saturday, 23 June 2001 (event date)
Pier A, Battery, New York — counterclockwise Manhattan circuit
Completed the counterclockwise solo circuit; twelfth in the published overall results.
Elapsed time · 8h 51m 23s
Placing / category · 12th overall
Published account checked · Details and qualifications are in the career evidence.
Open-water swimming · Race
Saturday, 7 February 2015 (event date)
Armagh, Northern Ireland
Completed the IISA 1 km swim in 18:15.00; water temperature 3.10°C.
Elapsed time · 0h 18m 15s
Published distance · 1 km
Published account checked · Details and qualifications are in the career evidence.
Open-water swimming · Solo swim
Sunday, 28 February 2016 (event date)
Loch Tay, Kenmore, Scotland
Completed an IISA-listed Ice Mile: 1.0800 mi in 0:33:00, at 4.70°C.
Elapsed time · 0h 33m 0s
Published distance · 1.0800 mi
Published account checked · Details and qualifications are in the career evidence.
Sunday, 16 August 1998
England to France in 13:55:00; landed at Cap Blanc Nez.
Saturday, 23 June 2001
Completed the counterclockwise swim in 8:51:23, place 12 in the published results.
2008
Completed the crossing recorded in her Hall of Fame citation.
Thursday, 2 October 2014
The reported Catalina completion joined her Channel and Manhattan swims.
Saturday, 7 February 2015
IISA records 18:15.00 in water measured at 3.10°C.
Sunday, 28 February 2016
IISA records 1.0800 mi in 0:33:00.
2018
IMSHOF records the pioneering crossing in 18:37.
2021
Honoured for services to swimming.
2023
Inducted into IMSHOF as an Honor Swimmer.
Achievements update from recorded results. A tick means the supporting results are verified.
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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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