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CANCanadaSport:SwimmingCindy Nicholas, recorded in the Channel register as Cynthia Nicholas, was born in Toronto on 20 August 1957. She progressed from childhood competition into marathon swimming as a teenager. On 16 August 1974 she crossed Lake Ontario in 15 hours and 10 minutes, a performance that brought her to national attention and preceded her first English Channel crossing the following year.
Her career combined solo crossings with professional races. In August 1976 she won the women’s division at Lac St Jean. She also raced and set crossing marks in other Canadian waters, including Chaleur Bay. Those performances provide a wider view of an athlete often remembered primarily for the Channel.
On 7–8 September 1977, Nicholas became the first woman to swim from England to France and back without stopping. Her 19-hour-55-minute double was an overall record. She eventually accumulated 19 Channel crossings, including five doubles, and improved her double-crossing mark to 18 hours and 55 minutes in 1982. This profile presents selected individually checked swims rather than treating that career total as a complete event list.
Nicholas was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1979. She later practised law and represented Scarborough Centre in Ontario’s provincial parliament from 1987 to 1990. She died on 19 May 2016.
First woman to complete a continuous Channel double · five career doubles
Also recorded as Cynthia Nicholas, Cynthia Maria Theresa Nicholas.
Crossing details, recordings & verificationSolo swim
Wednesday, 7 September 1977 – Thursday, 8 September 1977
England → France → England
Elapsed time · 19h 55m
Start clock · 07:50 · Time zone not specified
Finish clock · 03:45 · Time zone not specified
Ratifying body's record checked · See the crossing record for qualifications and supporting evidence.
Solo swim
1982 · exact day not recorded here
England → France → England
Elapsed time · 18h 55m
Start clock · Clock time not confirmed
Finish clock · Clock time not confirmed
Ratifying body's record checked · See the crossing record for qualifications and supporting evidence.
Solo swim
1982 · exact day not recorded here
England → France → England
Elapsed time · 20h 9m
Start clock · Clock time not confirmed
Finish clock · Clock time not confirmed
Ratifying body's record checked · See the crossing record for qualifications and supporting evidence.
Open-water swimming · Solo swim
Friday, 16 August 1974 (event date)
Youngstown, New York → Ontario Place, Toronto
Completed the crossing in a then-record 15:10.
Elapsed time · 15h 10m
Published account checked · Details and qualifications are in the career evidence.
Open-water swimming · Race
Sunday, 8 August 1976 (event date)
Lac St Jean, Quebec, Canada
First woman and fifth overall.
Elapsed time · 9h 14m 31s
Placing / category · First woman; fifth overall
Published account checked · Details and qualifications are in the career evidence.
Open-water swimming · Solo swim
Sunday, 7 August 1977 (event date)
Grand Anse, New Brunswick → Paspebiac, Quebec
First woman to complete the crossing, according to the Hall of Fame.
Elapsed time · 7h 22m
Published account checked · Details and qualifications are in the career evidence.
Tuesday, 20 August 1957
Birth date and birthplace supplied by Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Friday, 16 August 1974
Completed the crossing in 15:10.
Sunday, 8 August 1976
Women’s victory in the professional race.
Wednesday, 7 September 1977
Left Shakespeare Beach at 07:50 and returned at 03:45 on 8 September.
1979
National recognition of her sporting achievements.
1982
The CSA records an 18:55 double and another double of 20:09 that year.
1987–1990
Represented Scarborough Centre in Ontario’s parliament.
Achievements update from recorded results. A tick means the supporting results are verified.
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First recorded finish
1 more finish needed
0 of 1 recorded
Selected swimming performances appear in the English Channel record above.
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