Marilyn Bell, East Wear Bay, Folkestone

Cross-Channel swimmer Marilyn Bell, Folkestone 31 July 1955. Gus Ryder can be seen next to the exhausted swimmer.

Marilyn was a 17 year old 5ft 1inch school girl from Toronto, Canada. She held the “youngest channel swimmer” title for many years. Her swim, from Cap Gris Nez to East Wear Bay of 14 hours 36 minutes, was accompanied by her trainer Gus Ryder and pilot Jack “Pop” Burwill. The swim was reported in the Dover Express of 05 August 1955 (page 5).

She was also the first person to swim Lake Ontario. She was inducted into The Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1967.