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Who Was Gertrude Ederle?
Gertrude Ederle was a renowned American swimmer who achieved fame in her late teens as a champion athlete. She gained international recognition after competing in the 1924 Olympics and becoming the first woman to swim across the English Channel in 1926. Her record-breaking feat brought her widespread fame, and in her later years, she dedicated herself to teaching swimming at a school for deaf children.
Early Life and Career
Gertrude Caroline Ederle was born on October 23, 1905, in New York City, into a family of five children. Her parents, Henry and Anna Ederle, were German immigrants who ran a butcher shop on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. From an early age, Ederle was drawn to swimming, learning the sport at local public pools and during summers spent at the beach in New Jersey. Her passion for the sport led her to leave school and pursue competitive swimming as a teenager. Ederle joined the Women’s Swimming Association, and by the age of 16, she had already secured her first major win. Between 1921 and 1925, she set 29 swimming records, marking the beginning of her remarkable career.
Career Highlights and Fame
Ederle’s athletic achievements reached new heights at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, where she won three medals as part of the U.S. freestyle team. However, her most iconic accomplishment came in 1926 when she became the first woman to swim across the English Channel. The 21-mile stretch between England and France had previously been conquered only by five men, with English swimmer Matthew Webb being the first in 1875.
Her first attempt in 1925 ended in disappointment due to a technical disqualification, but Ederle was undeterred. On August 6, 1926, she successfully swam the channel, starting at Cape Gris-Nez in France and landing in Kingsdown, England, after 14 hours and 31 minutes. Her time shattered the record held by previous male swimmers. Ederle faced treacherous waves and strong currents, with her progress closely monitored by a nearby tugboat carrying her trainer, T.W. Burgess, and her family.
Ederle’s triumph was celebrated with great enthusiasm when she returned to New York. Throngs of admirers greeted her at the dock, and she was honored with a ticker-tape parade. Mayor Jimmy Walker welcomed her to City Hall, and President Calvin Coolidge praised her as “America’s Best Girl,” inviting her to the White House. For a time, Ederle’s fame rivaled that of sports icons like Babe Ruth and cultural figures such as Charles Lindbergh. Her channel swimming record remained unbeaten until 1950.
Later Life and Death
Following her historic swim, Ederle capitalized on her fame with a successful vaudeville tour, showcasing her swimming skills. She also starred in a short film about her life and career. Unfortunately, in 1933, a severe back injury ended her competitive swimming career, though she continued to perform at events like the “Aquacade” at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
In her later years, Ederle lived a more private life, stating that she had fulfilled her greatest ambition by swimming the English Channel. She devoted herself to teaching swimming at the Lexington School for the Deaf, a cause close to her heart due to her own hearing loss, which eventually led to complete deafness. Ederle never married and spent her final years in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, New York, surrounded by close friends.
Gertrude Ederle passed away in 2003 at the age of 98 in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Today, her legacy lives on at the Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center in Manhattan, near the neighborhood where she first learned to swim.