Tom Blower

Inductee (Honour Swimmer) of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame

Tom Blower aka Torpedo Tom

Tom Blower: The Humble Hero Who Conquered the North Channel written by Martin Strain

Tom Blower (1914-1955) from Nottingham, Great Britain, was a British open water swimmer inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1964 as an Honor Swimmer. In 1955 at the age of 41, he died of a heart attack in his home.

Marathon Swimming Career

• Blower made three successful English Channel crossings
  • On 4 August 1937, Blower swam from Cap Gris Nez, France to Abbots Cliff, England in 13 hours 31 minutes, beating the old record by 23 minutes.
  • On 29 August 1948, Blower swam from Archcliffe Beach for France, making him second person to successfully swim the English Channel both ways in 15 hours 31 minutes and was nicknamed 'Torpedo Tom'.
  • On 11 September 1951, Blower swma from England to France in 18 hours 42 minutes, the first leg of an abandoned double-crossing.
• After serving honorably during World War II, Blower’s 15 hour 26 minute crossing on 27 July 1947 of the 35 km North Channel between Ireland and Scotland was unprecedented (the North Channel was first attempted in the 1920s; until 1970, Blower was the only person to successfully cross the notorious waterway with his wife Clarice Blower as part of his escort crew.

External links

• The Best Open Water Swimmers from 1950 to 2020
• The Best Open Water Swimmers from 1950 to 2020
• The Best Open Water Swimmers of the 2010's
• The Best Open Water Swimmers of the 2000's
• The Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1990's
• The Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1980's
• The Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1970's
• The Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1960's
• The Best Open Water Swimmers of the 1950's
• The Next Evolution of Swim Goggles
• What Shoes Are To Runners, Goggles Are To Swimmers
• Tom Blower, The Humble Hero Who Conquered The North Channel
• World Record Progression Of English Channel Crossings
• Channel Swimming Association
• Marveling About Nelson
• Channel Swimming Association
• International Marathon Swimming Hall Of Fame Origins
• World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation History
• International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
• Open Water Swimming
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• WPMSF Led To IMSHOF
• World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
• Marathon Swimming
• Daily News of Open Water Swimming
• The Jolly Giant of the Sea
• The History Of The North Channel - Between Scotland And Ireland
• The History And Future Of The North Channel
• The Ties That Bind In The Open Water
• Nottingham's Torpedo Tom Honoured Today
• Kevin Murphy Versus The North Channel In His Own Words
• Where Is Precisely The North Channel?
• What Are Swimmers Known As?
• Adoption Of Goggles In The Swimming World
• Kevin Murphy, Experiences From Dryland To The Water