Also recorded as Nora Toledano.
Biography
Nora Toledano Cadena is a Mexican marathon swimmer, coach and organiser whose contribution extends from individual crossings to the development of other swimmers. Her Channel career began in 1992. In 1994 she completed a two-way crossing, becoming the first Latin American woman to do so. The Channel Swimming Association records the combined swim at 23 hours 38 minutes and associates it with its Most Meritorious Swim award.
Toledano also raced on the FINA professional circuit from 1998 to 2006. Her International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame profile describes long swims in Mexico and around Manhattan, as well as the Triple Crown and completion of the Oceans Seven in 2019. Separate federation records document her Catalina crossing in 2016 and Molokai crossing in 2017, illustrating the international breadth of that later programme.
Her work on shore has been equally sustained. She helped develop organised crossing activity between Cozumel and the Maya Riviera, organised World Cup marathon swimming in Mexico and co-authored an open-water swimming book with Antonio Argüelles. ISHOF credits her with coaching, crewing for or advising more than 100 Mexican distance swimmers, alongside athletes from other countries. Inducted into IMSHOF in 2006, she joined its executive committee in 2022 and received the Poseidon Award in 2025 for her contribution to marathon swimming.
Her Channel career continued in 2025: the CS&PF results list a 6 August England-to-France swim in 11:12:00, also reported by Ellis Marine Services. The federation-hosted directory checked on 31 October 2026 lists seven successful widths across 1992–2025, including one double; the older six-crossing biography is a historical snapshot.
Selected Channel swim records
Two-way English Channel crossing
Ratifying body's record checked
Recorded swim date · Friday, 5 August 1994 · Start or finish date not specified by the source
Elapsed swim time · 23h 38m
Duration of the complete swim
Started · Exact start date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed
Finished · Exact finish date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed
Timing note · 5 August is Dover’s swim date. Neither inspected entry establishes start or finish clocks.
Format · Solo · 2-way
Direction · England → France → England
Pilot / piloting team · Mike Oram
Ratification / historical recognition · Channel Swimming Association
How this record was checked
CSA individual record 2452 was inspected: Mexico, solo, two-way, 1994 and 23:38. Dover supplies the day, complete route and pilot. This verifies the published ratifier entry, not the underlying observation sheets.
CSA: Nora Toledano Cadena, 1994
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Two-way solo, 23:38, Mexico, 1994 and Most Meritorious Swim award.
Limitations · Individual entry supplies year only; no observer report or clock times.
Dover: Nora Toledano Cadena, 5 August 1994
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Calendar date, full two-way route and pilot.
Limitations · Secondary compilation; date is not expressly identified as start or finish.
Completed outward crossing before the later double
Ratification reported by source
A completed first width of an unfinished two-way attempt. This was a separate performance from her successful August 1994 double already in the profile.
Completed first crossing; the intended return leg was abandoned.
Recorded swim date · Thursday, 30 June 1994 · Start or finish date not specified by the source
Elapsed swim time · 9h 40m 0s
Duration of the complete swim
Started · Exact start date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed
Finished · Exact finish date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed
Timing note · The supplied day is a generic swim date; departure and arrival clocks are blank.
Format · Solo · 1-way
Direction · England–France
Pilot / piloting team · Reg Brickell Jr
Escort vessel · Helen Ann Marie
Official observers · J. Woodward / R. Scott
Ratification / historical recognition · Channel Swimming Association (reported by CS&PF)
How this record was checked
CS&PF historical entry 443569 records a successful one-way on 30 June and explicitly attributes its ratifying organisation to CSA. The original CSA decision and observer report were not inspected. Its comment says the second leg was abandoned.
CS&PF historical entry: Nora Toledano Cadena, June 1994
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · 30 June 1994; successful England–France 9:40:00, crew, and explicit abandoned return-leg note.
Limitations · Federation-hosted historical compilation; its Ratifying Organisation field reports CSA. A generic Date field does not establish departure or arrival dates.
1997 England-to-France solo
Ratification reported by source
A separate Channel solo three years after her two-way success.
Recorded swim date · Monday, 11 August 1997 · Start or finish date not specified by the source
Elapsed swim time · 11h 51m 0s
Duration of the complete swim
Started · Exact start date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed
Finished · Exact finish date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed
Timing note · 11 August is the source’s generic swim date. No phase dates, clocks or observer name are supplied.
Format · Solo · 1-way
Direction · England–France
Pilot / piloting team · Michael Oram
Escort vessel · Aegean Blue
Ratification / historical recognition · Channel Swimming Association (reported by CS&PF)
How this record was checked
CS&PF historical entry 443678 names Nora Toledano Cadena, Mexico, and records the 11 August 1997 one-way. It reports CSA as the ratifying organisation; no original ratification paperwork was inspected.
CS&PF historical entry: Nora Toledano Cadena, August 1997
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · 11 August 1997; England–France 11:51:00, Michael Oram and Aegean Blue.
Limitations · Federation-hosted historical compilation; its Ratifying Organisation field reports CSA. A generic Date field does not establish departure or arrival dates.
2025 Channel return
Published account checked
The current federation-hosted career directory lists seven successful Channel widths through 2025, including the two legs of one double. The pilot-service page links a video labelled with her name; its footage has not been reviewed.
Recorded swim date · Wednesday, 6 August 2025 · Start or finish date not specified by the source
Elapsed swim time · 11h 12m 0s
Duration of the complete swim
Started · Exact start date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed
Finished · Exact finish date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed
Timing note · Departure 07:23:00 and arrival 18:35:00 are printed beside a generic Date field. The phase dates and time zone are not explicitly stated, so these remain reported clocks in this note.
Format · Solo · 1-way
Direction · England–France
Pilot / piloting team · Simon Ellis; annual list also names Marilyn Critchley
Escort vessel · High Hopes
Official observers · Suzannah McHugh
Ratification / historical recognition · Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation
How this record was checked
CS&PF individual entry 446181 and its 2025 successful-swim row agree on 6 August and 11:12:00. Ellis Marine Services independently lists the completed 2025 solo. The annual page’s pending-ratification disclaimer means this source check is not presented as an inspected committee decision.
CS&PF: Nora Toledano Cadena, 6 August 2025
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · 11:12:00 England–France solo, date, Simon Ellis/High Hopes, observer Suzannah McHugh and reported 07:23/18:35 clocks.
Limitations · Published CS&PF database entry; the ratifying-body label is not an inspected committee decision. Generic Date and separate clocks do not explicitly date the phases.
CS&PF: 2025 successful swims
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Nora Toledano row, 6 August, 11:12:00; Simon Ellis / Marilyn Critchley / High Hopes.
Limitations · The annual list retains the disclaimer that results are unofficial until committee ratification. No separate decision or observer log was inspected.
Ellis Marine Services: 2025 Channel swimmers
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Pilot-service annual account identifies Nora Toledano’s completed 11h12 solo in 2025 and provides an external video link.
Limitations · The page and its video-link label were inspected; video playback and footage contents were not verified. No reuse licence is asserted.
CS&PF: solo swimmer directory
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Career coverage: Nora Toledano Cadena seven crossings including one double, 1992–2025; Michelle Macy three, 2007–2012; Antonio Argüelles three, 1999–2021.
Limitations · Julian Critchlow compilation; multiway legs contribute to crossing counts. This is not individual committee paperwork.
Other events & swims
Catalina Channel
Open-water swimming · Solo swim
Tuesday, 23 August 2016 (event date)
California, United States
Completed mainland to Catalina.
Elapsed time · 12h 37m 27s
Ratifying body's record checked
How this event was checked
CCSF row 383 matches her full name and Mexico; career identity is corroborated by IMSHOF.
Catalina Channel Swimming Federation: successful solo swims
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Selected individual result rows; CM = Catalina to mainland, MC = reverse, MCM = double.
Limitations · Date of Swim does not by itself specify departure or arrival; clocks and logs not inspected.
IMSHOF: Nora Toledano Cadena athlete profile
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Athlete identity, professional career, coaching, authorship, honours and Oceans Seven.
Limitations · Its six-crossing summary is historical, not a current career total.
Molokai Channel
Open-water swimming · Solo swim
2017 · exact day not confirmed
Hawaii, United States
Completed a solo crossing in July 2017.
Elapsed time · 14h 28m
Published account checked
How this event was checked
MCSA entry 54 lists Nora Toledano at 14:28. Her IMSHOF Oceans Seven profile supplies the career bridge. Exact day and logs were not available.
Molokai Channel Swimmers Association: swimmer listing
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Nora Toledano, entry 54: July 2017, 14:28.
Limitations · Month and year only; no clock times or observer documentation displayed.
IMSHOF: Nora Toledano Cadena athlete profile
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Athlete identity, professional career, coaching, authorship, honours and Oceans Seven.
Limitations · Its six-crossing summary is historical, not a current career total.
MEX