Kazia Studd was declared our Serpentine Wendy for 2026.
Water 6.5; air 10c. Stilll a tad nippy.
Wendy cup winner Kazia with some random lost boys and girls
(photo: Norman Jones)
Prizes galore
Everyone's a winner
President Laure told of Mary's five decades with the club
(photo: Norman Jones)
The crowd were all ears and snugly warm hats.
Since the turn of the twentieth century and the influence of Peter Pan author James Barrie (who lived nearby) Serpentine swimmers have resolutely refused to grow old. Well, in at least in mind and spirit if not in body.
The late 1970s/early 1980s saw women begin to participate in the race calendar, being allocated a handicap and swimming alongside the men. Associate member status for women had been agreed by an AGM vote in 1973. Full member status for women was established by a vote at the 1985 AGM.
Christmas morning, 1997. Mary was amongst the growing ranks of ladies in the club. By then more than one hand was required to count their number.
Come the early 2000s there was no gender distinction, all swimmers competing "as equals under the eyes of the handicapper". The exception was the Christmas Day race for the Peter Pan cup. During the 1980s and 90s, to encourage the still handful of women winter swimmers, a small “Wendy cup" was provided by the club to be presented to the first woman home. Like the Peter Pan cup, this was retained each year by the winner.
As time went on more and more women competed and many began to feel it unfair that only men could win the Peter Pan cup - all swimmers in the Christmas race were competing under a handicap. The small cup provided by the club was in no manner as grand as the Peter Pan trophy presented by the race sponsors, the Greenbury family.
The AGM of 2003 sought to rectify this. The concept was by no means acceptable to all at the meeting. The compromise outcome was for the first swimmer home to be deemed the winner of the Christmas Day race - the Peter Pan cup being presented to the first man home and a Wendy cup to the first woman. No issue arose for the 2003 Christmas Day race, which was won by Alan Lacy.
No issue that was, until the following year.
The 2004 the race was won by the very popular veteran Emmi Hunte. Many, including race sponsors the Greenbury family, thought it very strange and unsatisfactory that a small alternative cup was presented to the race winner rather than the grand Peter Pan trophy presented by the Greenburys for which the club and the event has a global reputation. The issue was addressed at the 2005 AGM with a proposal that the race winner would be presented with the Peter Pan cup, irrespective of gender. The motion was passed virtually unanimously, with many who opposed the proposal at the 2003 AGM speaking this time strongly in favour.
Emmi Hunte won the Christmas Day race for the second time in 2015, and this time rightfully received the grand trophy that is the Peter Pan cup.
Outside of Christmas morning the spirit of Sir James Barrie's Wendy now lives-on in the guise of Mary's Wendy cup. After all, as Mary recounts, without a Wendy all of us lost boys and girls and wannabe Peter Pans would sadly soon find our way back into our perambulators (from which we had fallen in Kensimgton Gardens) and return to grown-up reality.
First of the two 50m races underway
Laure received a last second pep talk from Dave Bill (photo: Norman Jones)
Clock running (photo: Norman Jones)
Time to take a breath and enjoy the 6.5c water (photo: Norman Jones)
1st Ruta Skatikaite
2nd Mary Olivari
3rd Jessica Cecil
Bit of a queue for the second race as latecomers for the first bumped themselves into the second
The more the merrier
Thanos in control
Dark sky, dark water.
Tight finish
Boris pondering the meaning of life the universe and everything and why his handicap is not 42.
Shoes and flipflops patiently await their owners
1st Kezia Studd (nee Jukes) - and overall event winner against her handicap
2nd Fran Lou
3rd James Norton
A third race was squeezed in, just for fun with no official handicaps
The even later latecomers were made more than welcome by master of swimming ceremonies Thanos Papasavvas.
For the record - 1st Louise Mason; 2nd Catrin Picton; 3rd Hannah Davis.
Mary enthusiastically extolled the virtues of an annual Serpentine Wendy.
Everyone needs one. Everyone wants one.
As a child of the 1960s Mary would attend the Serpentine Lido in the summer holidays with her brother. She could not swim but was happy to float around in her armbands. In summer 1983 a "grown-up" Mary started swimming in the Lido daily until the day before the birth of Athena, her first daughter, that September. The following year she came back early mornings on roller skates pushing Athena in her buggy. It was then that she met club member Ron Miller, who acted as "nanny" to Athena whilst Mary swam. In 1985 Mary joined the club and began to participate in the races. Mary intended to swim through the summer until September, then November, then someone suggested she race on Christmas morning. The rest is history.
Christmas 1994
In 2015, thirty years after she joined the club, Mary was asked to step into a vacant slot on the club fixture card and sponsor a race. A cup was available and, at Mary's request, was styled the "Wendy cup" in deference to the club's Peter Pan Christmas Day connection. The cup is dedicated to all of us Serpentine swimmers who at heart refuse to grow up.
Kazia Studd (nee Jukes), our 2026 Wendy, had first (spoilt for) choice of the prizes.
Make your mind up time
Rachael next up
- a few names in the frame having already headed of to work (Ruta Skatikaite); or park run (Fran Lou); or breakfast (Mary Olivari); or maybe flown off to Neverland (Jessica Cecil)?
James sized-up the wide choice
Prizes for the (not quite yet) lost boys and girls
Auntie Mary (or was it Wendy?) said - "no need to swim to win, just give your youthful support"
And then the free for all
Everyone's a winner!
Finally, after the table was almost cleared, three cheers for Mary Gilbert and all the club's (at heart) lost boys and girls
Wendy for 2026 - quite a responsibility for Kazia
(Report compiled by Brian Thomas. Images provided by Brian and the club's archives, unless credited to individuals)