Eileen Fenton
First woman to swim the English Channel
About Eileen Fenton
Born 1928.
Eileen Fenton, MBE (June 1928 – 23 August 2026) was an English swimmer who swam the English Channel, accomplishing the feat on 26 September 1950. Fenton completed the swim as a competitor in the First Daily Mail Channel Race. There were 24 competitors in the race and less than half of these finished.
In 2019, she received an MBE in the Queen's Birthday honours for voluntary service to Long Distance and Competitive Swimming Coaching in Yorkshire and Great Britain.
Fenton died in Mirfield, West Yorkshire on 23 August 2026, aged 98.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Eileen Fenton's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Eileen Fenton?
first woman to swim the English Channel
When was Eileen Fenton born?
Eileen Fenton was born in 1928.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Eileen Fenton. https://biography.guide/eileen-fenton/
MLA: "Eileen Fenton." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/eileen-fenton/.
Chicago: "Eileen Fenton." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/eileen-fenton/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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