Open water legend turns 99

At the age of 89 in 2013, she broke the record for the oldest ever finisher of the Midmar Mile

August 4, 2022

Lebohang Pita 1 minute read

Lorna Cochran (front seated) celebrates her 99th birthday with her family. With her are (back) Duncan Bezuidenhout (great-grandchild) and Michael Gemmell (grandchild). Middle: Fred Friskin (son-in-law), Janet Friskin (daughter), Rene Swart (grandchild) and Carmen Gemmell (grandchild’s wife). Front: Denica van Rooyen (great-grandchild) and Ashley Bezuidenhout (great-grandchild).

Midmar Mile legend Lorna Cochran recently celebrated her 99th birthday.

She celebrated the auspicious occasion surrounded by her family at Chelsea Lane Home for Seniors, where she’s been a resident for the past 18 months.

Cochran began participating in open water swimming in 1998, seeking a new challenge after being dropped from the second to the third team at her tennis club, despite defeating the person who replaced her in the second team.

At the age of 89 in 2013, she broke the record for the oldest ever finisher of the Midmar Mile – a record held for 14-years by American swimmer Colin Cable. Cable, four months younger than Cochran, finished his race at the age of 89 in 1999.

Birthday girl. Lorna Cochran swam the Midmar Mile for 17 consecutive years.

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Cochran’s exploits in open water swimming earned her a World Open Water Swimming Association Woman of the Year Award nomination in 2013.

In 2015, she defended her record of the race’s oldest finisher at 92 years.

She competed in 17 consecutive Midmar Mile races.

She is also known for her activism and deep love for Benoni. The nonagenarian took the fight to former ward councillor Sinethemba Matiwane for the dire state the Benoni Town Hall in 2020, complaining that it been allowed to degenerate into a dreadful state.

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