This trophy was awarded to Linda McGill who in 1983 became the first Australian to swim the 45 kilometres (28 miles) around Manhattan Island, New York, as a competitor in the Manhattan Marathon.
In a swimming career spanning four decades, Linda McGill produced championship performances in the pool at local club, state, national and international meets, and pioneered women's open water long distance swimming. She represented Australia at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth winning gold, silver and bronze medals, and at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964. McGill was the first person to swim across Port Phillip Bay (1968) and to swim around Hong Kong Island (1976). McGill also became the first Australian to swim the English Channel (1965), and to swim around Manhattan Island (1983).