Ishak Helmy

Ishak Helmy was an Egyptian swimmer whose long Channel campaign made him a familiar figure among the swimmers and support crews gathering on the English and French coasts in the 1920s. He is also recorded as Ishak Helmi. His own attempts were only part of that involvement: the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame describes his work assisting other swimmers, including Gertrude Ederle, and his participation in the crew for her successful crossing.

The Dover collections record unsuccessful attempts in several seasons before his 1928 success. He trained with Thomas William Burgess, whose experience linked many of the period’s Channel swimmers. For Helmy’s successful effort, Dover Museum names the French tug Alsace and places his landing at Folkestone.

His recognised France-to-England solo crossing took 23 hours and 40 minutes. Both Dover sources date the successful swim to 31 August 1928, although they do not clearly label that date as departure or arrival. The Channel Swimming Association independently publishes his name, Egyptian nationality, route, year and duration. Dover identifies him as the first Egyptian to complete the Channel and describes the enthusiasm his achievement generated in Egypt. In 1953 he shared an honorary leadership role in the new international long-distance swimming association with Georges Michel. IMSHOF honoured him as an Honor Swimmer in 1980.