The prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, congratulates Shannon Keegan, the fearless marathon swimmer who embarked on an extraordinary journey to conquer the Caribbean’s first-ever dedicated sea trail – the Waitukubuli Sea Trail in Dominica.
Shannon Keegan, a renowned marathon swimmer from the United States, has achieved a remarkable feat by completing a 66-kilometre swim along the Waitukubuli Sea Trail in Dominica, the first dedicated sea trail in the Caribbean.
Keegan started her swim at 12:52 AM on Saturday, November 25, 2023, from Scotts Head, a scenic peninsula in the south of the island, and finished at Capuchin, a fishing village in the north, at 2:40 AM, after 25 hours of non-stop swimming.
Keegan’s swim was not only a personal challenge but also a way to promote Dominica as a premier destination for open-water and marathon swimming, as well as eco-tourism and environmental awareness.
The Waitukubuli Sea Trail, founded by the Soufriere Outdoor Centre, showcases the stunning beauty and diversity of Dominica’s coastline, marine life, and culture.
The trail is named after the indigenous Kalinago word for Dominica, meaning “tall is her body”.
Keegan is a swim efficiency coach and a podcast host. She has a passion for open-water swimming. She started with her first 10-kilometre swim in Bermuda in 2010.
Since then, she has completed several long-distance swims, including a 59-kilometer swim in Lake George in 2022 and a record-breaking 36-kilometer swim across Loch Ness in Scotland in 2023.
She is part of Swim Mastery’s global network of coaches, who aim to share their knowledge and experience with swimmers of all ages and abilities and raise awareness about the importance of access to swimmable water.
Keegan’s swim is a testament to her endurance, determination, and love for the sport and the environment. She has set a new standard for open-water swimming and put Dominica on the map as a place where dreams can come true.
