A NOTABLE SWIM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19688, 15 January 1926, Page 6

A NOTABLE SWIM.

HIGH SCHOOL GIRL’S PEAT. ACROSS OTAGO HARBOUR. I In swimming across the Otago Harbour yesterday morning Miss Kathleen Miller, a 16-year-old pupil ot Mr H. E. Olds (custodian of the Municipal Baths) accomplished a feat of which many men might justly be proud. The course she set out to cover was a mile, but as she went about 400 or 500 yards out of her way. Miss Miller has that added distance to her credit. Miss Miller is already well known in swimming circles as champion of the Girls’ High School. When Mr Olds took her in hand a few years ago she could not swim a yard, but by the ‘progress she has made of late it is confidently expected that she will do great things in the near future. Yesterday morning’s swim was from the Victoria wharf, near the Harbour Board’s dredge, to the powder hulk, Anderson’s Bay, this being a measured mile course. The sea was very choppy in mid-channel, forcing the young swimmer to use the plane in order to keep the seas out of her face as much as possible. It was necessary in the circumstances for Miss Miller to ■ take a circuitous course, and, under the adverse conditions, it was a remarkable feat to cover the distance in 33mln 22 4-ssec. The swimmer demonstrated ctearly the merits and possibilities of the crawl stroke, as over the whole she thrashed the six beat without variation, and was even able to accelerate her speed as she went on. She finished strongly, and showed absolutely no sign of fatigue. In fact, she was quite willing to undertake the return journey, had Mr Olds thought it advisable. The swimmer regarded the whole journey as a novel and amusing experience. A rowboat, containing Messrs P. Brough (Otago senior oarsman), L. Simpson (Otago Rowing Club), and H. B. Olds, accompanied the swimmer. Mr T. Hughes assisted Mr Olds. Although male swimmers have swum the harbour on several occasions, there is no record of the feat having been accomplished by a woman, or, as in this case, a young girl.