Sunny Lowry's successful Channel swim

Sunny Lowry’s Successful Channel Swim Affidavit of Witnesses. Image shows a copy of the affidavit signed by the witnesses to Sunny Lowry’s successful cross-Channel swim, 28-29 August 1933.

It reads: The undersigned signatories certify that having assisted in the crossing of the Channel of Miss Sunny Lowry they all have seen this girl get into the water at Gris Nez on the 28th of August 1933 at 6.36 pm, and she swam across to St. Margarets Bay (England) where she arrived on the 29th of August 1933 at 10.17 am, without any other assistance but her own.

Signatories include Sunny’s parents, pilot Captiane Louis Courthes and her trainer, Jabez Wolffe, 

Ethel (Sunny) Lowry was trained by Jabez Wolffe. She successfully swam the Channel on Aug 28 1933, time 15 hours 41 mins from Cap Gris-Nez to St Margaret’s Bay. In 1933 there were 18 attempts and only Sunny was successful. Sunny swam in a two-piece swimming costume now at Dover Museum.

She had two unsuccessful attempts: Aug 10 1932 (time 14 hours 00 mins) and July 27 1933 (time 6 hours 00 mins).

She became the President of the Channel Swimming Association in 2000. In 2003 Sunny was inducted into the Swimming Hall of Fame. In 2005 she was awarded the MBE for services to swimming. In 2014 “The Sunny Lowry Road” was opened in Beswick.

The swim of 1933 was finally recognised by the CSA, in March 1958, through the perseverance of her husband.