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It is perhaps the greatest sporting achievement in Penarth's history.

On 5 September 1927, Kathleen Thomas became the first person to swim the Bristol Channel.

Lathered in lard and brimming with bovril, the Bradenham Place-born swimmer set off from Penarth at 4.15am.

Seven hours and 20 minutes later, she arrived on English shores...11 miles away.

Many men had tried and failed before her, making this a landmark moment in an era of women's liberation.

Her feat was widely disbelieved (how could a woman achieve something so remarkable?), until the South Wales Echo printed the following article:

"Crowds lined the beach to watch Kathleen wade into the chill grey waters, accompanied by a launch containing representatives from the Welsh Amateur Swimming Association and a rowing boat carrying her uncle Jack in a bowler hat.

"Seven hours and 20 minutes later she reached the shores of Somerset; fortified by beef tea and chocolate, Thomas received a rapturous welcome from the West Country.

"After the swim she was taken to a hotel where she had a warm and cold bath, a half-hour rest in bed, and a good fish lunch before returning to Wales a celebrity."

On the 80th anniversary of the swim, a plaque dedicated to Kathleen was affixed to Penarth Pier.