Cliff Lumsdon

Cliff Lumsdon, long-distance swimmer (b at Toronto 1 Apr 1931; d at Etobicoke, Ont 31 Aug 1991). At age 6 Lumsdon joined the Lakeshore Swim Club in Toronto, coached by the famous Gus Ryder. In 1949 he claimed the first of 5 men's world marathon swimming championships by beating a field of 70 in the CNE 15-mile (24 km) swim with a time of 7 hrs 55 mins. He received the LOU MARSH TROPHY as Canada's athlete of the year in 1949. He continued to do well after 1954, when the shorter waterfront marathon was replaced by a 30-mile (48 km) swim across the lake. In 1956 he won the Atlantic City 26-mile (42 km) event and became the second man (after Bert Thomas) to conquer the Juan de Fuca Strait. Later, he coached his daughter Kim and assisted Cindy NICHOLAS and other marathon swimmers.

Lumsdon`s contribution to the sport has continued to be recognized. In addition to winning the Lou Marsh Trophy, he was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1976 and the Ontario Aquatic Hall of Fame in 1993, and in 2013 he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. The Cliff Lumsdon award is also presented annually to an outstanding marathon swimmer in Ontario.