Kimberley Chambers is an open water swimmer from New Zealand living in the San Francisco Bay area. A former ballerina, she is a member of the Dolphin Club of San Francisco, the South End Rowing Club, North Bay Aquatics, and the Night Train Swimmers. The focus of her solo swims is to raise awareness and funds for the following causes: Warrior Canine Connection, Team Theo and The Free Morgan Foundation. She was nominated for the Halberg Awards' High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year in 2015 and is one of the few people in history who has completed the Oceans Seven.
Chambers is a classically trained ballerina. She began dancing at the age of 2 years old and over the next 15 years practiced under the Royal Academy of Dance, competing and performing throughout New Zealand. Although she no longer dances she is qualified to teach ballet. While studying at the University of California at Berkeley, Chambers was recruited to the women's freshman crew team. Chambers has been swimming for less than 4 years, discovering her passion for the sport while rehabilitating a life-threatening leg injury.
Open Water Swimming Career:
Chambers became the sixth person in history to complete the Oceans Seven.
Chambers was the first women to complete a 30-mile solo swim from the Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge in August 2015 at the age of 38. Her swim took 17 hours 12 minutes.
Chambers was a nominee for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year.
Chambers successfully crossed the English Channel
Chambers successfully crossed the Catalina Channel
Chambers successfully crossed theStrait of Gibraltar
Chambers successfully crossed the Cook Strait
Chambers successfully crossed the Tsugaru Channel
Chambers successfully crossed the Molokai Channel
Chambers successfully crossed the North Channel
Chambers has been a member of various ultra marathon swimming relays with the Night Train Swimmers.
In 2009, she swam from Alcatraz Island to Aquatic Park as part of her rehabilitation from Acute Compartment Syndrome
In 2011, she became the first woman to participate in a relay from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands
Chambers completed a relay across the English Channel, a relay around Manhattan Island
Chambers swam the length of Lake Tahoe
In 2012, she was on a relay from San Francisco to Santa Barbara that stopped after 181 miles but they raised over US$1.2 million for Semper Fi Fund.
Night Train Swimmers
Chambers is also a member of the Night Train Swimmers, and a successful relay team that swam 26.4 nautical miles from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands off the coast of northern California, U.S.A. on 20 May 2011 in 14:45:08 with Phil Cutti, Darrin Connolly, David Holscher, Vito Bialla and John Mathews.
2013 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year nomination:
"Kimberley Chambers was 30 minutes from having her leg amputated after a traumatic fall down a flight of stairs. Nearly all hope had evaporated in the hospital, but destiny ultimately intervened. After her leg was saved, she took up swimming in order to avoid being disabled and unable to walk. After a difficult two-year rehabilitation period, she learned to love swimming and those in the sport. This year, she has blossomed in ways she could not have imagined before. She completed the Strait of Gibraltar in May, the Catalina Channel in July, and the English Channel in September en route towards her goal of achieving the Oceans Seven. For her optimistic view of life, for her deep sense of appreciation of her teammates and supporters, for her utter joy in the discovery of her vast potential, Kimberley Chambers is a worthy nominee for the 2013 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year."
2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year nomination:
"From a near amputation to this year’s completion of the Oceans Seven, few swimmers in history have come back from such depths to stand atop the marathon swimming world. Kimberley Chambers, a former ballerina whose leg was minutes from being amputated, took to swimming for rehabilitation – not for marathon swimming glory. But she needed to prove to herself and her doctors that she could recover from a terrible leg injury by completing 7 difficult channels around the world including a jellyfish-strewn North Channel crossing where she went into toxic shock. After years of struggle and sacrifice, the Kiwi living in San Francisco has transformed mindsets on what is truly possible in the open water. Personable, humble and profoundly eloquent, she is a role model in her rehabilitation and monumental swimming achievements. For her goal-setting mentality, for her laughter and motivational spirit, for her genuine willingness to share everything she has experienced along the way, Kimberley Chambers is a worthy nominee for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year.''
