The Sid Levy cup, sponsored by Nick and Sakura Adams

Sid joined in 1923 and faithfully served the club for over 60 years, celebrating his membership diamond jubilee in 1983.  In 1955, following the death of Albert Greenbury the Club's President for twenty years, the committee decided to limit the number of years served in office. A term of three years was proposed and instigated with great political skill and foresight by Sid, whose presidential term quite “coincidentally” covered the club’s centenary year in 1964.  Quite some nous!

Perhaps Sid’s nous stemmed from being a long-serving representative on Holborn borough council.  As a Labour councillor Sid was instrumental in ensuring the post war resurrection of a project to build the beautiful Oasis public swimming pool on the site of what was "Holborn Baths".  The project started in 1937, but was halted by WW2.  Today's outdoor swimmers of central London have a lot to thank this esteemed past member of the Serpentine Swimming Club.  Though the water is somewhat warm compared to the Serpentine lake (it's heated!) it is a very iconic venue.

Nick joined the club in 1992, aged 14 and has proved to be one of the UK's most formidable long-distance swimmers.  He completed his first Englaish Channel solo crossing in 1993.  In 1995, aged 18, Nick became the youngest person to complete a two way Channel swim. His time was 27 hrs 28 mins (split 11:40/15.48).

Nick has completed numerous Channel crossings and many other amazing swims -  Catalina Channel (California), Robben Island (South Africa), Strait of Gibraltar, Manhattan Island (New York) circumnavigation to name but a few.  Nick was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2013.

Nick has been a great source of inspiration and support for many English Channel and other marathon swim aspirants, providing expert tips and coaching to help swimmers reach their goal.  He is a past President of the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation.

Sakura joined us in 2002 whilst studying medicine at Imperial College.  She was captain of the IC swimming team under coach Norman Jones.  With such a coach Sakura had no option but to agree to swim with us in the Serpentine, come wind, rain and shine.  The waters of the Serpentine gave Sakura the long-distance bug and in 2005 swam the English Channel in a very respectful 11 hrs 08 mins.  Like Nick, Sakura has also completed the 28.5 mile Manhattan circumnavigation, Catalina Channel (20 miles), Strait of Gibraltar (9 miles) amongst other achievements.  Sakura has also completed a number of marathons and the Bolton Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile cycle, 13.1 mile run) which Sakura described as "tougher than the English Channel".

Norman Jones coached the Imperial College swim team for many years.  He said Sakura was by far the best team captain he had ever worked with.  "She even got the engineering students to join in the social events!"

Please follow this link to to a report on the 2009 research.  There is some facinating video footage of some familiar (and suprisingly young looking) Serpentine faces.

Serpentine Swimming Club

Nick and Sakura were bought together by a love of long-distance swimming.  Their August 2013 wedding by pure coincidence (?) coincided with the 138th anniversary of the day Captain Matthew Webb left Dover to become the first to swim the English Channel -  24 August 1875.