KOWS Hall of Fame
Class of 2019. Bill Brinson
Bill just keeps on swimming and never takes a break, so until he does and we can compile a biography, this is a placeholder.
Class of 2019. Anita Dinwiddie
Some of the KOWS knew her as “coach” when they were calves… And still today, she’s coaching us all in life. A full bio on Anita is coming, check back soon!
Class of 2021. Lana Burl
Lana’s contributions to the KOWS, B2B, and to all who know her are varied. It takes many words to describe Lana: marathon swimmer, financial contributor, preview swim planner, fierce competitor, USA Team triathlete, farm girl, engineer, business owner, cat-lover, teacher, wife, sister, daughter, coach, friend.
Lana started swimming as the necessary evil to successfully compete in triathlon, of which she has completed 71!! She was part of Team USA at ITU World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2019 and Ironman Louisville in 2016.
From her first 1 mile swim in 2010 in the Cayman Islands, she has swum more than a dozen swimming events including three B2Bs, a relay finish at the 12.5 mile Swim Around Charleston, and Swim the Suck. She is a Tennessee Triple Crown swimmer having completed B2B, Swim the Suck, and just recently the Hobbs Island 5 mile swim. In 2020 she completed a 13 mile swim on Halloween!
And speaking of cold water, Lana continues to push her boundaries as she now pursues cold water swimming. Last winter, she and 4 other KOWS, swam outside in the River weekly, braving water temps as low as 42 degrees. No wetsuits for these Cold KOWS!
Lana has perfected the essential techniques of “standing”, “warming into your effort”, and “mathing out the flow resistance” created by TVA dam releases. Lana-isms!!!
Lana is always ready to help others, whether it’s a problem with your stroke, or to devise a training plan. Her coaching skills continue to develop and she is the premier Masters coach in town! Look to her this fall and winter as she and her husband Chris, open LB Endurance Labs, a facility for swim instruction and more.
Class of 2021. Blaik Ogle
Blaik Ogle discovered open water swimming in 2016 when he and Jack McAfee decided to form an Open Water swim group. A native of Sevier County, Tennessee, Blaik has lived in Knoxville for the last 10 years and thrived in the endurance community. He was formerly a triathlete, serving as President of the Rocky Top Multisport Club. His dream of completing an Ironman was achieved at Lake Placid which he completed in 2016. It was after this accomplishment that he decided to pivot and seek a new challenge, ultra distance open water swimming was the draw. Blaik has brought more people to open water swimming in Knoxville than any one person. Plus he encourages everyone to swim in different parts of the river which on our own, they may never have discovered.
Always the dreamer, after just a few months swimming in the Tennessee River, he decided that it was time to start an open water swim race. As his co-director Jack McAfee recalled, “it was always a challenge to keep up with the never-ending stream of ideas that came out of him [Blaik]. Creating this race was an incredible challenge, one that we will both always be extremely proud of tackling.”
In 2022, Blaik took on his next challenge - in his chosen career field, molecular biology - and took a hiatus from open water swimming. But the best thing about Blaik Ogle is his ability to connect people. He meets folks, then finds a common thread for each to share. He reaches out to others, invites them in, and keeps them coming back again and again.
Class of 2022. Jack McAfee
Jack McAfee moved to Knoxville in 2014. Moving from Chattanooga, he had extensive experience swimming with the Chattanooga Open Water Swimmers (COWS). He began swimming on his own in the Tennessee River and the Fort Dickerson quarry, and noticed he was the only person actively swimming these bodies of water. His dream was to start an open water swimming group, similar to the COWS. In 2016, along with Blaik Ogle, Jessi Ringer, and Karen McNeany, formed the Knoxville Open Water Swimmers (KOWS). The group met for weekly swims navigating the river and swimming under the bridges downtown. As more and more passionate swimmers joined the group, the next step was to start an open water race. Jack also had years of experience racing, having completed Swim the Suck in Chattanooga 10 times over 11 years. Jack chose the route based off his favorite solo swimming entry points, and affectionately named the race Bridges to Bluffs. Borrowing from his favorite triathlon - Escape from Alcatraz - jumping off the Star of Knoxville was the feather in the cap for the new race, which officially started in 2017.
Jack grew up in Kennesaw, Georgia and spent all of his childhood on various swim teams and in the pool. This extensive swimming naturally led to an interest in “drier” sports, and he soon discovered running and triathlon. He ran cross country and track at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and continued to race after college. He has competed in over 100 triathlons all over the world, winning the sprint triathlon world championships in London in 2013 and Ironman Florida in 2016.
Jack left Knoxville and returned to Chattanooga in 2019, leaving behind a new open water swim club for local Knoxvillians, and a 10K swimming event for everyone. But Jack left Knoxville with one extremely important thing - his wife Ala. When they started dating she would pilot his swims and his races - but now they spend most of their time keeping an eye on their new son, Montgomery.
Class of 2022. Alex Tucker Norris
We like to refer to this inductee as the Professor. Most of you know her as Alex Tucker Norris. Alex grew up in Nashville, graduated from Ensworth HS in 2008 and married her high school sweetheart William in 2014. They lived a short time in Chicago, then moved to Knoxville to attend UT. She earned two undergraduate degrees and a masters degree in Child and Family Studies. Alex earned her doctorate in Child and Family Studies in 2021. Alex’s athletic career started with high school swimming in Nashville. A natural athlete, she started running 5Ks in 2011, then triathlon in 2013. She has competed in dozens of races from 5Ks to Half Ironman Triathlon since then. She favored Olympic distance triathlons. While pregnant, Alex competed in the Crossfit OPEN, Ragnar Trail Kentuckiana, and drove across country TWICE to support William’s Race Across America Team.
Alex found the KOWS during the pandemic. Actually she was recovering from tendon repair surgery after stepping on a stingray. She quickly progressed in her mileage, and became a Tennessee Gold Triple Crown winner in 2021 by completing Bridges to Bluffs 10K, Swim Hobbs Island 5 mi, and Swim the Suck 10 mi, in the same year.
Cold water swimming has become a favorite hobby of Alex, as she and other cold water KOWS continue to swim outside throughout the winter. Another favorite hobby is reported to be watching the Kardashians! Alex is very proud of her husband and family, especially of their daughter Annie who will be 3 years old this month. A friend to all, Alex tries to include everyone. She brings joy and happiness to every swim!