At 70, Irish-native and open-water swimmer Maura Twomey, who lives in Boston, Massachusetts, has achieved an extraordinary feat of endurance, successfully crossing California’s Catalina Channel on 17 August in an unofficial time of 15:45:23, pending ratification. The swim saw the former primary school teacher become the oldest person to complete the Catalina Channel crossing, while also achieving the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming – the English Channel, the 20 Bridges Swim and the Catalina Channel – three of the world’s most prestigious marathon open-water swims.

But this was never simply a swim for a record. Seventh eldest in a family of fourteen siblings, Maura was inspired by her family’s own experience of both giving and receiving the gift of life through organ donation.

Her youngest brother, Martin Twomey, who lives in Douglas, Co. Cork, received a life-changing kidney transplant in June this year from a deceased donor after two and a half years on dialysis. Three years ago, following the death of his wife Catherine from a brain aneurysm, her organs and heart valves were donated, giving other families the chance to keep their loved ones.

Maura undertook the Catalina Channel challenge not only in honour of her brother Martin, but also to raise funds for the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) and to highlight the extraordinary generosity of donor families through her online fundraising link www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/mauratwomey3

Maura’s Catalina crossing was the culmination of a remarkable journey that began with her first open-water challenge, swimming from Alcatraz around her 50th birthday. She went on to complete the English Channel in 2015, swimming from England to France in 16 hours and 23 minutes at the age of 59, followed eight years later by the 20 Bridges Swim around Manhattan in 9 hours and 19 minutes. With her successful Catalina crossing at 70, Maura completed the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.

Maura’s brother, Martin Twomey, now 60, is the youngest of 14 siblings. Born in Dublin, he spent his early years in Walkinstown before the family moved to Blarney, Co. Cork, when he was five and Maura was a teenager. He now lives in Douglas, Co. Cork, close to his four adult sons, Darren, Daniel, Conor and Liam and two grandchildren Beth (13) and her brother Harry (16).

The kidney transplant he received this summer, which followed two and a half years of dialysis treatment at Cork University Hospital, has transformed his health and given him a new lease of life that had seemed increasingly out of reach during his years on dialysis.

Last year, as his health continued to deteriorate, he was forced to step back from working at the successful transport business he had built, with its fleet of 30 buses, as he was no longer well enough to run it.

His journey to dialysis and transplantation began with devastating loss. In 2023, his wife, Catherine, died from a brain aneurysm, and Martin selflessly agreed to donate her organs and heart valves. Six months later, Martin’s kidney function had deteriorated to the point where he needed to commence haemodialysis treatment.

For Martin and his family, there was some comfort in knowing that, although they had lost someone they loved, Catherine’s final gift meant that other families might still have the chance to keep their loved ones.

When Martin found himself on the other side of the organ donation story waiting for a kidney transplant, several members of his family, including Maura, offered to donate a kidney to him as living donors. But Martin declined, concerned that if someone who donated might one day need their remaining kidney themselves or for another member of their family. Rather than put a loved one at that risk, he chose to remain on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney.