Margaret Sweeney (swimmer)

Margaret Isobel Lister (née Sweeney, born 1929 or 1930) is a former New Zealand swimmer who represented her country at the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland. She later took up long-distance swimming, and in 1955 became the first person to swim the length of Lake Taupō.

Margaret Lister
Personal information
Birth nameMargaret Isobel Sweeney
Born1929 or 1930 (age 93–94)[1]
Spouse(s)
Keith Richard Lister
​
​
(m. 1956)​
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportSwimming
Achievements and titles
National finals100 yards breaststroke champion (1950)
220 yards breaststroke champion (1949)

Biography

Representing Auckland, Sweeney won two titles at the New Zealand national swimming championships: the 220 yards breaststroke in 1949; and the 100 yards breaststroke the following year.[2] She went on to represent New Zealand at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, finishing sixth in the 220 yards breaststroke with a time of 3:28.0.[3] She was also a member of the New Zealand team in the 330 yards medley relay, with Jean Stewart and Winifred Griffin, that was disqualified in the final.[4]

Sweeney then turned to long-distance swimming, and worked as a professional swimming coach at the Tepid Baths in Auckland.[5] On 30 January 1955, she became the first person to swim the length of Lake Taupo, making the 40-kilometre (25 mi) crossing from south to north in 13 hours 39 minutes.[5][6] The feat would not be repeated until 1977 when local man Patrick Cox completed the marathon swim.[7]

Sweeney made four attempts to swim the English Channel, in 1954, 1955 and 1968, but was unsuccessful on each occasion.[8] In 1955, she was within 800 yards (730 m) of reaching the English coast when the tide changed and pushed her back; she finally abandoned the attempt after 12 hours in the water.[8]

In 1956, Sweeney married Keith Richard Lister in Essex, England.[9] The couple went on to have three sons, and ran a supermarket at Forrest Hill on Auckland's North Shore.[8]

References
  1. "N.Z. girl prepares for long swim". The Argus. 3 August 1955. p. 25. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  2. McLintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Swimming – national championships". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Wellington: Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  3. "Results for the 1950 British Empire Games – Swimming – 220 yard breaststroke – women". Commonwealth Games Federation. 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  4. "Results for the 1950 British Empire Games – Swimming – 330 yard medley relay – women". Commonwealth Games Federation. 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  5. "Girl who conquered Taupo may try Channel". Auckland Star. 31 January 1955. p. 3.
  6. "Girl swims length of Taupo". New Zealand Herald. 31 January 1955. p. 8.
  7. Singh, Anendra (14 February 2019). "Swimming: Hawke's Bay orchard manager Steve McKain conquers 40.2 Lake Taupo Marathon". Hawke's Bay Today. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  8. Blomfield, Valerie (7 August 1974). "Same trials 20 yrs ago". Auckland Star. p. 14.
  9. "Marriages Dec 1956 – Essex S.W." FreeBMD. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
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