A 70-year-old woman swam 20 miles across California's Catalina Channel after her brother received a kidney transplant; she raised over €15,000

Maura Twomey, a 70-year-old former primary school teacher who lives in Boston, crossed California's Catalina Channel on 17 August in an unofficial time of 15 hours, 45 minutes and 23 seconds, pending ratification. She became the oldest person to complete the crossing and earned the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. She swam in honour of her youngest brother, Martin, who received a kidney from a deceased donor in June after two and a half years on dialysis. Her fundraising page shows €17,022 raised online for the IKA against a target of €15,000.How did the 70-year-old woman swim Catalina ChannelAccording to the Irish Kidney Association, Maura Twomey is a native of Ireland who lives in Boston and finished the Catalina Channel crossing on 17 August in an unofficial time of 15:45:23, pending ratification. The swim made her the oldest person to complete the crossing, and it also earned her the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, which consists of the English Channel, the 20 Bridges Swim and the Catalina Channel.Her open-water career began with a swim from Alcatraz around her 50th birthday. She then completed the English Channel in 2015, swimming from England to France in 16 hours and 23 minutes at the age of 59. She followed this eight years later with the 20 Bridges Swim around Manhattan in 9 hours and 19 minutes.Why did Martin Twomey need a kidney transplantMartin Twomey, now 60, is the youngest of 14 siblings, and Maura is the seventh eldest. He was born in Dublin, spent his early years in Walkinstown, and moved with his family to Blarney, Co. Cork, when he was five. He now lives in Douglas, Co. Cork, close to his four adult sons, Darren, Daniel, Conor and Liam, and his two grandchildren, Beth (13) and Harry (16). He had built a transport business with a fleet of 30 buses and stepped back from it last year because he was no longer well enough to run it.Martin's wife, Catherine, died from a brain aneurysm in 2023, and he agreed to donate her organs and heart valves. Six months later, his kidney function had deteriorated to the point where he needed to start haemodialysis. He spent two and a half years on dialysis at Cork University Hospital before receiving a kidney from a deceased donor in June this year. The transplant took place at Beaumont Hospital.Several family members, including Maura, offered to donate a kidney as living donors, but Martin declined. He was concerned that a donor might one day need their remaining kidney, or that another family member might need it. Maura Twomey is quoted by the IKA as saying: "Martin always put the welfare of his family before his own."How difficult was Maura’s Catalina Channel swimMaura described the swim as every bit as demanding as she had expected. She said: "The swim began in 12-knot winds, chop and swells that never completely settled." She added that in the final hours the winds rose to approximately 20 knots, pushing her off course. She said that whenever she felt she had nothing left, she thought of Martin and what he had endured on dialysis.She made the crossing aboard the Kamryn Dawson, supported by crew chief Elaine Howley and crew member and support swimmer Barbara Cocci. Kayak support was provided by Sidney Russell and Angela Lee, while David Sundius and Joel Virgil served as official observers for the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation. Reaching land meant scrambling up a rocky shoreline to complete the swim, which left her with a skinned knee. She credits Cork-based swim coach Eilis Burns, whom she approached in 2015 when she set out to swim the English Channel.How much did Maura raise for the Irish Kidney AssociationMaura chose to fundraise for Irish Kidney Association CLG, and all funds raised there go directly to the cause. The page records a total of €17,022 raised against a target of €15,000, all of it from online donations. It lists the fundraiser as completed, with donations available until 4 September 2026. The top donors shown are Martin Twomey with €1,000, Mr O'Connor with €502 and Derry Cronin with €500.IKA is working to meet the needs of people and their families living with and affected by end-stage kidney disease, on dialysis and post-transplant. It states that funds from donations and fundraisers provide services such as counselling, financial aid, the use of a patient support centre and patient holidays. Maura says: "The generosity of donor families is extraordinary." She hopes to encourage more people to talk to their families about organ donation.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.