Wightlink bouquet for swimming star Jenny at 80

One of the Island’s best-known sporting stars has celebrated her 80th birthday – and shows no signs of slowing up.

Swimmer Jenny Ball, of Newport, is busy preparing for another season of events across the country and beyond. She did however take time out to celebrate her big day which included a surprise visit from one of her sponsors, Wightlink Ferries.

Wightlink offers travel support to Jenny through the IW Council’s Talented Athletes programme and Head of Port Operations Dean Murphy called in to drop off a card and birthday bouquet to show the company’s admiration for her.

“Our sponsorships mean more to us than helping out with travel costs. We take a real interest in people we support and there was no way we could let Jenny’s birthday pass without dropping off a gift,” says Dean.

“Jenny is an absolute inspiration to all of us and we wish her a very happy birthday and all the best for another successful season.”

She is the most senior of the Island’s Talented Athletes and the oldest Island swimmer now regularly completing in mainland events.

This year she has already undertaken open water training in Lanzarote, competed in the Guernsey Masters and as an Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) official, was time keeping at the Royal Navy Masters in Somerset. Still to come are the Swim England Great Britain Masters in Plymouth and the Hampshire County Masters in Portsmouth, next month. She hopes to compete at the Swim England Masters Open Water Championships in Sheffield in July. Later this year she will take part in the European Masters Championships in Slovenia followed by the One Mile ‘Swim Serpentine’ in Hyde Park where she hopes, once again, to raise over £300 for Macular Degeneration research and support.

She says: “The travel support I get from Wightlink is greatly appreciated but it was a really nice surprise when Dean turned up with birthday flowers as well.”

Born in Ipswich, Jenny moved to the Island from Birmingham, with her husband David – also well known in Island sporting circles – in 1960. The couple have four sons and nine grandchildren. Jenny is a former nurse and also set up a playgroup at Carisbrooke before becoming a part time Education Welfare Officer with the County Council until 1992. Later she was a phlebotomist until 1999. Jenny is also an ASA swimming teacher at Waterside, Ryde and The Heights at Sandown.

For more information, contact Karen Woods on 07775 694266 or [email protected].