By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
Melissa Roberts (nee Cunningham), a decorated Australian open water swimmer and Hall of Famer, has died after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 51.
Roberts is a legendary figure in Australian open water swimming, having won the 1994 world title in the women’s 25km marathon swimming event in Rome, topping the runner-up by nearly two minutes.
One year prior, during the open water competition at the 1993 Pan Pacific Championships, Roberts, making her major international debut for Australia, was the runner-up in the women’s 25km while navigating a lightning storm.
She also won the women’s 25km event at the 1996 FINA World Cup event in Lausanne. In a blog published by Funkita in 2014, Roberts shares that she competed at the 1996 open water trials with a partially dislocated shoulder, having to “stop to push her shoulder back in during the event.” She also dealt with a fatigue virus in 1997 that last for eight months.
“I might get knocked down, but I always get back up again”, she said, according to Funkita. “These all made me tougher and stronger.”
Adding to her legend, Roberts’ initial introduction to open water swimming came in 1991, when, as a 16-year-old, she swam the 8km stretch from Magnetic Island to Townsville in North Queensland in a shark cage.
She later broke the Guinness World Record for the most kilometers swum by a woman in a pool over a 24-hour period, hitting 93km to break the existing mark by 10.9 km. According to Swimming Australia, the feat left her allergic to chlorine.
Roberts was named the Swimming Australia Open Water Swimmer of the Year in both 1994 and 1996, and in 2013, she was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. She is also recognized on Sydney Olympic Park’s Path of Champions, and in 2020, was a part of the inaugural class for the Australian Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
Following her competitive career, Roberts continued to play a big role in the Australian swimming community, helping to found the Australian Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame while working as a technical official and administrator. She also commentated open water swimming at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, and at the inaugural 10km marathon swimming event at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
She also served on the International Swimming Hall of Fame Executive Committee from 2017 to 2023, and received the Irving Davids/Captain Roger W. Wheeler Memorial Award from the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2014 for her contribution to the administration of open water swimming. In 2024, she received the Dale Petranech Award for Services to the IMSHOF.
For her service to swimming, Roberts was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) at the 2026 Australia Day Awards. “The sport that has shaped so much of my life continues to bring unexpected and meaningful moments,” she said.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Melissa Roberts OAM (Cunningham) (@melswims)
In 2012, Roberts was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.
Earlier this month, she shared with her followers on Instagram that after battling metastatic cancer for the last seven years, she’d been placed in palliative care. She also said that organizers had personally delivered her OAM medal to hospital after she was unable to attend the official ceremony.
Her husband, Adrian Roberts, confirmed the news of Melissa’s death on Wednesday, May 20, on her Facebook page.
As Melissa’s husband, I bring the heart breaking news that Mel has lost her fight with cancer and passed away peacefully in her sleep early this morning. Mel, will always be a multiple world champion, a devoted wife, loving sister, proud stepmother, inspiration and friend to so many. To me Mel was beautiful and loving in so many ways and taught me so much as a person and a father during the time we shared together. I know she inspired many others during her life and swimming career, and she carried the determination and strength from those days into every part of her life and in particular her fight with cancer over the past 14 years. Those who knew her will remember her not only for her incredible achievements in the water, but for her kindness, determination and to the very end, the way she always put others first. Her loss leaves a space that can never truly be filled, but her legacy, both in sport and in life, will continue to ripple across the oceans with every stroke she takes and with everyone she met. Rest peacefully Mel, thank you for being you, for the inspiration, the courage and the love you shared so generously. I am going to miss you so much, you are forever loved and will always have a place in my heart and I know one day we will go for a swim together once more.In addition to her husband, Roberts is survived by two stepsons.
Tributes have been pouring in for Roberts since her death was reported, including from Swimming Australia, which said: “Thoughts are with family and friends of a Dolphin open water pioneer, and Swimming Australia thanks you for your lifelong contribution.”
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Legendary Open Water Swimmer Melissa Roberts Dies At 51 After Battle With Cancer
Hence then, the article about legendary open water swimmer melissa roberts dies at 51 after battle with cancer was published today ( ) and is available on swimswam ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Legendary Open Water Swimmer Melissa Roberts Dies At 51 After Battle With Cancer )
Also on site :