Swimming strokeHuman swimming typically consists of repeating a specific body motion or swimming stroke to propel the body forward. There are many kinds of strokes, each defining a different swimming style or crawl. In high school, collegiate, and Olympic swimming, there are two undulating strokes (breaststroke and butterfly stroke) and two alternating strokes (front crawl and backstroke).TrudgenThe trudgen is a swimming stroke sometimes known as the racing stroke, or the East Indian stroke. It is named after the English swimmer John Trudgen (1852–1902) and evolved out of sidestroke. One swims mostly upon one side, making an overhand movement, lifting the arms alternately out of the water. When the left arm is above the head, the legs spread apart for a kick; as the left arm comes down the legs extend and are then brought together with a sharp scissor kick.
SidestrokeThe sidestroke is a swimming stroke, so named because the swimmer lies on one's side with asymmetric arm and leg motion. It is helpful as a lifesaving technique and is often used for long-distance swimming. The sidestroke allows the swimmer increased endurance because instead of working both arms and legs simultaneously in the same way, the side stroke uses them simultaneously but differently.
Alick WickhamAlick F. Wickham (1 June 1886 – 10 August 1967) was a Solomon Islander swimmer and diver. Wickham resided in Sydney from 1901 to 1927 where he achieved several Australian and New South Wales titles for swimming.
SwimmingSwimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve a level of buoyancy and hydrodynamic thrust that results in directional motion.
Butterfly strokeButterfly (shortened to fly) is a swimming stroke swum on the front. Both the arms and the legs are symmetric, with the arms moving symmetrically down the front of the body and then over the water, and the legs moving up and down together in a dolphin kick. TechniqueButterfly, shortened to "fly", is a symmetric and undulating stroke. For most competitive swimmers, butterfly is the second fastest stroke, slower only than front crawl.
Freestyle swimmingFreestyle is a category of swimming competition, defined by the rules of World Aquatics, in which competitors are subject to only a few limited restrictions on their swimming stroke. Freestyle races are the most common of all swimming competitions, with distances beginning with 50 meters (55 yards) and reaching 1,500 meters (1,600 yards), also known as the mile.
OjibweThe Ojibwe ( oh-JIB-way; syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: Ojibweg ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (Ojibwewaki ᐅᒋᐺᐗᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the northern plains, extending into the subarctic and throughout the northeastern woodlands. The Ojibwe, being Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands and of the subarctic, are known by several names, including Ojibway or Chippewa.
BreaststrokeBreaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on their chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to the swimmer's head being out of the water a large portion of the time, and that it can be swum comfortably at slow speeds. In most swimming classes, beginners learn either the breaststroke or the freestyle (front crawl) first.Backstroke
LondonLondon is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of 9.14 million people in 2025. Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 15.4 million. London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) tidal estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years.World AquaticsWorld Aquatics, known for most of its history as FINA (French: Fédération internationale de natation; English: International Swimming Federation), is the international federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administering international competition in water sports.
Cavill familyThe Cavill family of Australia is known for its significant contributions to the development of the sport of swimming. Prominent family members in the sport include Frederick Cavill (1839–1927), sons Ernest Cavill (1868–1935), Charles Claude Cavill (1870–1897), Percy Frederick Cavill (1875–1940), Arthur Rowland Channel (Tums) Cavill (1877–1914), and Sydney St. Leonards Cavill ("Sid") (1881–1945).*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.