Bob Fernald
Bob is a native New Hampshire resident and local open-water ultramarathon swimmer, coach, and swim event coordinator. His ascension into the open-water world was solidified when he completed the Triple Crown of Open-Water Swimming in 2016. To date, less than 350 swimmers have completed this achievement. The Triple Crown consists of completing the English Channel, Swim around Manhattan Island, and the Catalina Channel. His combined debut swim times made him the 10th fastest in history in 2016.
He is an adult-onset swimmer. Like most triathletes, he completed a few triathlons and found his love for the swim leg of the sport to be non-existent. However, after leaving the sport, spending some years practicing Pilates, and returning to the water, Bob discovered his swimming transformed into minimal effort and powerful swimming that he eventually took to a world-class level.
Bob coaches individuals in the Portsmouth, NH, Seacoast area. He has worked with swimmers ages 6 years to 72 years old for short open-water swims to ultramarathon-level swims. In Bob’s own words, “I help people find the joy in freestyle open-water swimming. They take their new passion from there.”
Annually, he facilitates Open-Water Safety Clinics for the NH State, Rye, NH, and York, Maine Lifeguard operations, the Town of Rye Parents Teachers Association, and specific clinics for open-water and triathlon athletes. He shares his knowledge with local youth swim teams as an occasional guest coach, with a special interest in motivating the next generation of open-water swimmers.
The Nubble Light Challenge, Kingston Open Water Swim, Save our Shores Swim, and the NH Coastline Garbage Swim are all regional swims that Bob has helped to bring to fruition. He created the Gulf of Maine ‘Hat Trick’ Marathon Swim Challenge (Boston Light, White Island, Boon Island swims). Bob coordinates Gulf of Maine marathon swims for individual swimmers or relay adventures. Over the years, nearly $200k has been raised for local Charities (The Michael Phelps Foundation, National Awareness for Mental Illness, YMCA, the Blue Ocean Society) through his open-water swim involvement.
Additionally, Bob belongs to US Masters and has served as an open-water safety official and rules official for USMS events. He is an official marathon swim observer and has crewed for many ultramarathon swimmers. Bob has also received the New England USMS Frank Wuest Award and is a member of the New England USMS Hall of Fame.