Gertrude Ederle's primary photo
  • Unladylike Gertrude Ederle (Season 1, Episode 19)
  • TV Episode | 12 min | Documentary, Biography, History

Unladylike

Gertrude Ederle (Season 1, Episode 19)
TV Episode | 12 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Gertrude Ederle (1905-2003), at age 15, became the first woman to swim the length of New York Bay and, in 1924, won three medals at the Paris Olympics. The German American athlete rocketed to international stardom in 1926, at age 20, as ...See moreGertrude Ederle (1905-2003), at age 15, became the first woman to swim the length of New York Bay and, in 1924, won three medals at the Paris Olympics. The German American athlete rocketed to international stardom in 1926, at age 20, as the first woman to swim across the English Channel, a feat only five men had completed, then considered one of the toughest endurance tests in the world. Wearing a revolutionary two-piece bathing suit and goggles she designed herself, for 14½ hours, Ederle battled 21 miles of frigid water and treacherous tides, beating the fastest man's existing record by nearly two hours -- the first time in sporting history that a woman had completed an event in a faster time than a man. Dubbed "Queen of the Waves" and "America's Best Girl," her accomplishment helped to demonstrate that women could be great athletes and challenged conventional wisdom about women as "the weaker sex." Ederle's hearing, which had already been damaged by a childhood case of measles, severely worsened after swimming the English Channel and left her "stone deaf," in her words. Unable to compete in swim meets, Ederle briefly toured the U.S. on the vaudeville circuit. Later in life, she taught swimming to deaf children in New York City. Interviewees: historian Linda J. Borish, Associate Professor of History, Western Michigan University and Co-Author of Sports in American History: From Colonization to Globalization; two-time Olympic medalist Lia Neal, the first African American woman to swim in an Olympic final for the United States. See less
Read more: Plot summary
Producer
Julie Sacks
Cinematographers
Ashley Battle | Darren Kawasaki
Editor
Xuan Vu
See all filmmakers & crew (45)
Status
Edit Released
Updated Jul 8, 2020
Release date
Jul 8, 2020 (United States)

Contacts

+ Add

Become a member to see contact information for Gertrude Ederle.

Cast

 + Add Cast
2 cast members
Name Known for
Julianna Margulies's primary photo
Julianna Margulies
Gertrude Ederle Gertrude Ederle   See fewer
ER (1994)
Lorraine Toussaint's primary photo
Lorraine Toussaint
Narrator Narrator   See fewer
Hudson Hawk (1991)
There was an issue loading this tab.
There was an issue loading this tab.
There was an issue loading this tab.
There was an issue loading this tab.
There was an issue loading this tab.
There was an issue loading this tab.
There was an issue loading this tab.
There was an issue loading this tab.

MOVIEmeter

Members only

Become a member to access additional data

Ratings Breakdown

2 external links (official websites)