"THE SPORTING PARSON."

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14587, 14 December 1917, Page 2

"THE SPORTING PARSON."

The title "Sporting Parson" well befits the- Rev, S; Swarm, vicar of Holbrook, Derbyshire. He has accomplished most sporting feats on land and water, and now, at the age of "55, he is still an athlete of. rare power and talent. Mr. Swarm was on the Continent when he read'of Lieutenant J. P. Muller's attempt to cycle, walk, paddle- a canoe, scull and swim half a mile each inside an hour. "I can do that," he said, and he straightway prepared to prove his ability to .-accomplish the task. No one 'knew of his intention when he went down to the river bank at Putney with qualified and umpire, and the whole trial was done in secret; but everything was carried out in correct order, and Mr. Swarm exceeded his own expectations. His time for the- six events— cycling lmin 22 2-5 sec' walking 4min 58sec, running 3min 3osec, paddling 4nrin 46sec, sculling 3iiim 43sec, and swimming 7min 56sec—was 26min 20 . 2-ssec, this being 2min 59sec better than that accomplished by Lieutenant Muller. In his yonuger days Mr. Swarm was a famous athlete, especially excellin gas an oarsman and cyclist, while in recent years he has turned his attention to aviation.