Phyllis Gant

Phyllis Gant was a reserve for the Great Britain 4 x 100 metres freestyle relay team at the 1924 Paris Olympics but was a non-starter. She was educated at Southall County School, and in 1917 became the youngest person to obtain a Royal Life Saving Society diploma with honours. Also, as a teenager, she gave swimming displays and exhibitions with her sister Marie. Having established herself as a long-distance swimmer, Phyllis established a record time of 1-14:03 for the 5 miles and 60 yards course from Kew to Putney on the River Thames in 1918. That same year she won the first of several Hammersmith SC one mile titles, also on the Thames. In 1924, Gant was third behind Connie Jeans and Vera Tanner in the ASA 100 metres freestyle and the following year was third in the ASA Long Distance Championships. In the 1950s, Gant became a member of the ASA Council.