Vicki Keith

English Channel butterfly crossing

Ratifying body's record checked

Elapsed swim time · 23h 33m

Duration of the complete swim

Started · Monday, 10 July 1989 · 03:15 · Observer-log transcription; time zone not specified

Finished · Tuesday, 11 July 1989 · 02:48 · Observer-log transcription; time zone not specified

Timing note · The athlete-published log explicitly dates the swim 10–11 July and supplies both clocks. Its time zone is unspecified; no conversion has been applied.

Format · Solo · 1-way

Direction · England → France

Departure · Shakespeare Beach, Dover, England

Arrival · French coast

Stroke · Butterfly

Pilot / piloting team · Ron Solly

Escort vessel · Harbinger and Andante

Official observers · Ray Scott and Mike Stickler

Ratification / historical recognition · Channel Swimming Association

Conditions · The log reports 61°F water at departure and stronger winds and rough seas late in the swim.

How this record was checked

CSA record 2828 confirms the 1989 solo England-to-France crossing and 23:33 duration. Keith’s own website supplies a transcription credited to observers Ray Scott and Mike Stickler, including the clocks, escorts and pilot. The original signed observer document has not been authenticated here.

Channel Swimming Association: Vicki Keith, 1989

Checked 2026-10-30

Vicki Keith: athlete-published transcription of the 1989 Channel observer log

Checked 2026-10-30

Catalina Channel — butterfly

Open-water swimming · Solo swim

Saturday, 23 September 1989 (event date)

Completed Catalina Island → mainland using butterfly.

Elapsed time · 14h 53m 26s

Ratifying body's record checked

How this event was checked

CCSF row 67 explicitly marks butterfly and Canada. IMSHOF’s named career biography connects the Catalina butterfly swimmer to the English Channel butterfly record.

CCSF: successful Catalina Channel solo swims

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Selected named individual rows: swim date, direction and elapsed time.

Limitations · The register date is not labelled departure or arrival; original observer paperwork was not inspected. Pre-1981 swims are retrospective entries.

IMSHOF: Dr Vicki Keith biography

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Named butterfly Channel/Catalina achievements and individual 1988 Great Lakes performances.

Limitations · Retrospective hall-of-fame summary; no original Great Lakes observer log inspected.

Lake Ontario two-way

Open-water swimming · Solo swim

Wednesday, 5 August 1987 – Friday, 7 August 1987

Lake Ontario, Canada

Completed Leslie Street Spit → Port Dalhousie → Queen’s Quay Terminal; first two-way crossing.

Elapsed time · 56h 10m

Ratifying body's record checked

How this event was checked

SSO row 24 gives the 5–7 August 1987 interval, 56h10m, NSN direction and first-two-way flag. The page’s waypoint legend resolves the route abbreviations. IMSHOF provides the Channel/Catalina career identity bridge and corroborates the double’s duration. Counted as one event.

Solo Swims of Ontario: successful Lake Ontario swims

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Selected individual register rows: Marilyn Bell no. 1 and Vicki Keith no. 24, including route legend and two-way flag.

Limitations · Retrospective register. Bell’s elapsed time conflicts with ISHOF; original observer paperwork was not inspected.

IMSHOF: Dr Vicki Keith biography

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Named butterfly Channel/Catalina achievements and individual 1988 Great Lakes performances.

Limitations · Retrospective hall-of-fame summary; no original Great Lakes observer log inspected.

Lake Ontario double

1987

Completed the first double crossing of Lake Ontario.

Five Great Lakes

1988

Swam across all five Great Lakes.

Butterfly across the Channel

10–11 July 1989

Completed England to France in 23 hours 33 minutes.

YMCA Penguins founded

2001

Established an aquatics programme in Kingston for young swimmers with physical disabilities.

National Hall of Fame

2019

Inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.