Gertrude Ederle
By: Trevor Farrington
Biography
Gertrude Ederle was born in New York City on October 23, 1905, she achieved fame when she competed in the 1924 Olympics and became the first women to swim across the English Channel in 1926. She was one of five children of Henry and Anna Ederle. Her parents were German immigrants who owned a butcher shop on Manhattan's upper west side. At a young age Gertrude was passionate about swimming, which she learned at her local pool and at the New Jersey beach where her family spent summers. She wanted to be the first women to swim the English Channel. Her record remained unbroken until 1950. She appeared in a short film about her life. In 1933 suffered a back injury and couldn't compete. She taught swimming to deaf children. She never married and lived with several female friends. A hearing problem she suffered with since her childhood caused her eventual deafness. She died on November 30, 2003 at the age of 98.
Impact
She was the first women to swim across the English Channel in 1926.
English Channel 1926.
Gertrude Ederle swimming across the English Channel in a record breaking time.
Gertrude Ederle in 1926
Gertrude Ederle taught deaf children to swim, when she was half deaf herself.
Gertrude Ederle in 1924
She swam from Battery Park to Sandy Hook in seven hours and 11 minutes.
Gertrude Ederle Swims the Englis Channel 1926
Questions
1: When was she born?
2: How long did it take to swim the Channel?