Moesha Johnson Wins First Australian 10 km World Title

TWEED Heads swimmer Moesha Johnson has created history after winning Australia’s first 10km open water world title at in Singapore.

The 27-year-old, who claimed silver in the same event at the Paris Olympics, finished the race in two hours, seven minutes and 51 seconds.

It was also her first individual open water world championship.

“That was definitely harder than Paris. The heat, 36-hour delay, the strong currents … that was one of the hardest circumstances and open water conditions I have been part of,” Johnson said.

“Since the Olympics I have tried to embrace every opportunity and race with the feeling that I have nothing left to prove … I’ve had back-to-back illnesses but my family and faith got me through.

“And to all those that finished today … hats off to you. All open water skills were on display today. And I am so proud of this team – we had two girls and two guys in the top 10 and that’s a credit to this whole (Australian) Dolphins team.”

Johnson won silver in the 800m freestyle at the Australian Age Swimming Championships as a 15-year-old when she a student at Tweed River High School.

She went on to attend Southern Cross University where she completed a Bachelor of Biomedical Science in 2023.

She said winning a silver medal in the pool at the World University Games, in the final year of her degree, was a major turning point before the Olympics the following year.

“It confirmed for me, that’s what I wanted to do,” she said.

“I’m doing it for myself and the ones who believed in me all those years ago, when I didn’t necessarily believe in myself

“I want to say, ‘You believed in me then, and look! I’m here now. I’ve done it!”

 – WITH Mitchell Craig and AAP