127:, crossing from France to England in 13 hours 55 minutes. She received an official homecoming on her return to Pontypridd. She was granted the freedom of Pontypridd in recognition of her achievement, and free entrance for life to any swimming pool in Wales. She became the women's record holder for her swim of
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She worked as a swimming coach and lifeguard at the
Pontypridd Baths, and is credited as having saved more than 100 lives in her career. She is commemorated at the Lido, where a plaque has been erected in her honour.
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both ways. On 16 August 1951 she competed in the Second Daily Mail Cross
Channel Race, and became the first Welsh person to swim the
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in 1927, she learned to swim aged 7 in the
Pontypridd Swimming Baths. (The Baths reopened in 2015 as the
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371:"The first Welsh woman to swim across the English channel, Jenny James, dies at the age of 87"
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111:, now the National Lido of Wales). On 19 September 1949 she swam from
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96:(1927 - 24 October 2014) was the first Welsh person to swim the
192:"Jenny James: First Welsh person to swim the channel dies"
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First Welsh person to swim the
English Channel (1927–2014)
344:"Plaque for first Welsh person to swim English Channel"
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142:, Rhondda on 24 October 2014. She was unmarried.
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285:British Long Distance Swimming Association
218:"The Second Daily Mail Cross Channel Race"
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403:Photographs in People's Collection Wales
320:. Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC. Archived from
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222:Dover Museum – Channel Swimmers
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433:Female long-distance swimmers
398:Portrait in Pontypridd Museum
369:Tegeltija, Sam (2014-10-30).
287:. August 1959. Archived from
138:James died at a care home in
428:Sportspeople from Pontypridd
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278:"Loch Lomond Championship"
252:People’s Collection Wales
443:English Channel swimmers
160:"Bristol Channel swims"
109:Pontypridd Outdoor Lido
438:Welsh female swimmers
248:"Official homecoming"
324:on 30 September 2023
27:Personal information
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94:Jenny Eileen James
294:on 6 October 2023
258:on 6 October 2023
228:on 3 October 2023
198:. 31 October 2014
117:Weston-super-Mare
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61:(aged 86–87)
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125:English Channel
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350:. 19 July 2018
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328:30 September
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59:(2014-10-24)
423:2014 deaths
418:1927 births
375:WalesOnline
164:LongswimsDB
21:Jenny James
412:Categories
380:2023-09-30
318:Lido Ponty
314:"Heritage"
146:References
129:Windermere
105:Pontypridd
46:Pontypridd
354:3 October
298:6 October
262:6 October
232:3 October
169:6 October
131:in 1958.
348:BBC News
196:BBC News
103:Born in
86:Swimming
113:Penarth
71:, Wales
69:Rhondda
48:, Wales
37: (
292:(PDF)
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140:Porth
82:Sport
77:Sport
65:Porth
356:2023
330:2023
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54:Died
39:1927
35:1927
32:Born
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