Lady Mayoress, Sam Rockett and Leonore Modell, seated

Folkestone, Kent. 1964. Leonore Modell, from California, signing the visitors book in the Mayors Parlour at the Town Hall in Folkestone. The Mayor of Folkestone, Herbert Johnson, the Lady Mayoress, Paul Herron (her trainer) and Sam Rockett look on.

Leonore Modell, from Sacrimento, California, USA. At 14 years and 3 months of age in 1964, she was the youngest person to swim the Channel. Her time was 15 hrs 27 minutes.

Sam Rockett swam in the 1950 Daily Mail race and was the fourth man  to finish. He was Supervisor for the 1951 Daily Mail Race, an International race held in the “Festival of Britain year” and was also supervisor for the Billy Butlin races from 1953 to 1959, and the Sir Billy Butlin long distance walk from John O Groats to Lands End.

He played County Water Polo for a number of Counties. He was author of the book “its Cold in the Channel”

From the Sam Rockett Collection