Brenda Fisher & Baptista Pereira

The Leas Hotel, Folkestone, Kent. The winners of the Mens and Ladies races in the 1954 Billy Butlin Swim were Baptista Pereira, time 12 hrs 26 min and Brenda Fisher, time 14 hrs 25 min (Channel Swimming Association given as 14 hrs 36 min)

Baptista Pereira won the Billy Butlin 1954 Cross Channel Swimming Race, winning in a time of 12hrs 26secs.

In the 1959 Butlin swim he was placed 3rd in a time of 13hrs 12mins. He also entered the 1955, 1956 and 1957 swims but was unable to start.

He set a new record for the Strait of Gibraltar in 5hrs 4mins in 1956 and he again set a new record of 4hrs 34mins.

Brenda Fisher of Great Britain was successful in the 1954 race, and the first Lady home in a time of 14hrs 25mins.

Brenda was a very successful long distance swimmer; in 1948 she won the Morecambe Bay Championship and in 1951 she was the first Lady home in a new record time of 12hrs 42mins – she recieved a trophy from Eva Peron for being the first lady home. In 1954 she was the first lady home, her time was 14hrs 36mins.

In 1956 she swam Lake Ontario in a new record time of 18hrs 51mins. Also in 1956 she was the first lady home in the Nile Swim. In 1957 she swam for 15hrs 25mins in the Billy Butlin Swim.

From the Sam Rockett collection.