Michael Read
Encyclopedia
Michael Read is an English
long-distance swimmer who has the second most crossings of the English Channel – 33 to date. The current Queen of the Channel is Alison Streeter
.
, Read began swimming relatively late at 14 years old. He joined Brighton Swimming Club in 1955 and became its youngest committee member in 1957. During the period from 1969 to 1971 he became a FINA judge, timekeeper, referee and starter and he remembers his time at the Edinburgh Commonwealth pool with great affection. English Schools champion, British Universities Champion, and second in the ASA National Championships in 1959, Read was selected to represent Great Britain in Swimming in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome
but unfortunately due to injury, was never able to compete.
He joined the Channel Swimming Association (CSA) in 1969, making his first crossing that year and became a committee member in 1973. He was elected Vice Chairman from 1977-93 and Chairman of the CSA from 1993-1999. He joined the Board of Directors of the newly constituted CSA in 1999 and was elected Chairman. After a long struggle with the former King, Des Renford, he finally became King of the Channel
in 1979 and took the record number of crossings from 17 to 31, with Des snatching back the 18th. Read retired from Channel swimming in 1984.Most of his training took place at the Ipswich lido:Broomhill,which is currently closed,pending a refurbishment.www.savebroomhillpool.org
Read briefly lost the title in 2000, having held it for 21 years, but regained the title in 2004 with his 33rd crossing. He is the only swimmer ever to have been awarded the title and the Letona Trophy 3 times. He has had a distinguished long distance swimming career, competing in more than 120 swims over distances now termed “ultra marathon” swims and many more of the new marathon distance.
Unusually for an administrator he has continued to compete over a period of six decades, and still competes internationally in competitions up to 30 km. In his youth he competed in over 225 BLDSA events, won many BLDSA championships across the UK including the 1970 Windermere International, the Loch Ness Championship, set over 70 records and was the BLDSA Double Windermere Championship for nine consecutive years.
In recent years he has also competed in the World, European and National Masters competitions. He has been the ASA National Masters 3 km champion on more than 10 occasions and runner-up four times. On one occasion when the event was held in Ullswater, he was second in the ASA 25 km; only two swimmers finished but he was judged out of time. He made a number of inaugural swims in the Scottish Lochs and the first ever two-way crossing of the Wash from Skegness to Hunstanton and back to Skegness. Among other firsts were the first ever three-way swim of Windermere
and the first four-way swim. He was the first person to swim Loch Tay
, Loch Rannoch
, from Perth
to Broughty Ferry
and the 65 km from to Amposta
. He was the second person to swim around the Isle of Wight
.
Read was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1978 and has been made an Honorary citizen of both Nikiti in Greece
and Dervio
in Italy
. In February 2009 he was awarded the International Swimming Hall of Fame Davids/Wheeler Memorial Award which recognises contributors to the administration of open water swimming world wide.
Other records
First person to complete a 3 way swim of Windermere (30.75 miles) on 20 July 1972.
First person to complete a 4 way swim of Windermere (41 miles) on 20 July 1972.
First person to swim Loch Tay
(14 miles) in August 1973.
First person to swim Loch Lomond
(21.6 miles) twice.
Most English Channel Swims in a Year by a man - 6 in 1979. (Alison Streeter
holds the out right record with 7 in 1992).
Latest channel crossing on 28 October 1979
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
long-distance swimmer who has the second most crossings of the English Channel – 33 to date. The current Queen of the Channel is Alison Streeter
Alison Streeter
Alison Streeter MBE is a British long-distance swimmer. She has swum across the English Channel 43 times, more than anyone in the world and earning her the title of Queen of the English Channel. This total includes a triple-channel swim. She also completed seven Channel crossings in one year...
.
Biography
Born in BrightonBrighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, Read began swimming relatively late at 14 years old. He joined Brighton Swimming Club in 1955 and became its youngest committee member in 1957. During the period from 1969 to 1971 he became a FINA judge, timekeeper, referee and starter and he remembers his time at the Edinburgh Commonwealth pool with great affection. English Schools champion, British Universities Champion, and second in the ASA National Championships in 1959, Read was selected to represent Great Britain in Swimming in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome
Swimming at the 1960 Summer Olympics
At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, 15 swimming events were contested, eight for men and seven for women. There was a total of 380 participants from 45 countries competing. For the first time, the 4×100 metres medley relay was contested...
but unfortunately due to injury, was never able to compete.
He joined the Channel Swimming Association (CSA) in 1969, making his first crossing that year and became a committee member in 1973. He was elected Vice Chairman from 1977-93 and Chairman of the CSA from 1993-1999. He joined the Board of Directors of the newly constituted CSA in 1999 and was elected Chairman. After a long struggle with the former King, Des Renford, he finally became King of the Channel
King of the Channel (swimming)
The King of The Channel title is bestowed on the man who has successfully completed more swims of the English Channel than any other. The title as well the accompanied Letona Trophy is awarded by the Channel Swimming Association. The title is currently held by Kevin Murphy who has completed 34...
in 1979 and took the record number of crossings from 17 to 31, with Des snatching back the 18th. Read retired from Channel swimming in 1984.Most of his training took place at the Ipswich lido:Broomhill,which is currently closed,pending a refurbishment.www.savebroomhillpool.org
Read briefly lost the title in 2000, having held it for 21 years, but regained the title in 2004 with his 33rd crossing. He is the only swimmer ever to have been awarded the title and the Letona Trophy 3 times. He has had a distinguished long distance swimming career, competing in more than 120 swims over distances now termed “ultra marathon” swims and many more of the new marathon distance.
Unusually for an administrator he has continued to compete over a period of six decades, and still competes internationally in competitions up to 30 km. In his youth he competed in over 225 BLDSA events, won many BLDSA championships across the UK including the 1970 Windermere International, the Loch Ness Championship, set over 70 records and was the BLDSA Double Windermere Championship for nine consecutive years.
In recent years he has also competed in the World, European and National Masters competitions. He has been the ASA National Masters 3 km champion on more than 10 occasions and runner-up four times. On one occasion when the event was held in Ullswater, he was second in the ASA 25 km; only two swimmers finished but he was judged out of time. He made a number of inaugural swims in the Scottish Lochs and the first ever two-way crossing of the Wash from Skegness to Hunstanton and back to Skegness. Among other firsts were the first ever three-way swim of Windermere
Windermere
Windermere is the largest natural lake of England. It is also a name used in a number of places, including:-Australia:* Lake Windermere , a reservoir, Australian Capital Territory * Lake Windermere...
and the first four-way swim. He was the first person to swim Loch Tay
Loch Tay
Loch Tay is a freshwater loch in the central highlands of Scotland, in the district of Perthshire.It is a long narrow loch of around 14 miles long, and typically around 1 to 1½ miles wide, following the line of the valley from the south west to north east...
, Loch Rannoch
Loch Rannoch
Loch Rannoch is a large body of fresh water in Perth and Kinross, Scotland.The loch is over long in a west-east direction with an average width of about . The River Tummel begins at its eastern end. The Tay Forest Park lies along its southern shore...
, from Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
to Broughty Ferry
Broughty Ferry
Broughty Ferry is a suburb on the eastern side of the City of Dundee, on the shore of the Firth of Tay in eastern Scotland...
and the 65 km from to Amposta
Amposta
Amposta is the capital of the comarca of Montsià, in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.It is located at 8 metres above the sea, by the Ebre river, not far from its end. Population 18,841 ....
. He was the second person to swim around the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
.
Read was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1978 and has been made an Honorary citizen of both Nikiti in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Dervio
Dervio
Dervio is a comune in the Province of Lecco in the Italian region Lombardy, located on the eastern shore of Lake Como, about north of Milan and about northwest of Lecco...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In February 2009 he was awarded the International Swimming Hall of Fame Davids/Wheeler Memorial Award which recognises contributors to the administration of open water swimming world wide.
Other records
First person to complete a 3 way swim of Windermere (30.75 miles) on 20 July 1972.
First person to complete a 4 way swim of Windermere (41 miles) on 20 July 1972.
First person to swim Loch Tay
Loch Tay
Loch Tay is a freshwater loch in the central highlands of Scotland, in the district of Perthshire.It is a long narrow loch of around 14 miles long, and typically around 1 to 1½ miles wide, following the line of the valley from the south west to north east...
(14 miles) in August 1973.
First person to swim Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
(21.6 miles) twice.
Most English Channel Swims in a Year by a man - 6 in 1979. (Alison Streeter
Alison Streeter
Alison Streeter MBE is a British long-distance swimmer. She has swum across the English Channel 43 times, more than anyone in the world and earning her the title of Queen of the English Channel. This total includes a triple-channel swim. She also completed seven Channel crossings in one year...
holds the out right record with 7 in 1992).
Latest channel crossing on 28 October 1979