Hey,
Did anyone read "The Greatest Swim" by Gavin Mortimer? Amid the storytelling there a few specific things that caught my attention:
1. Ederle held the world record for 400m at 5:54. I guess she had atbest a 26 min mile in her
2. Still, she was the fastest swimmer to attempt the channel to date, so far as anyone knows. One or her "competitors" was using the fact that she could swim a 38 min mile as a point in her favor...YIKES! I can swim that and I do not think I am remotely fast enough to ever even dream of the channel, unless I can stay afloat unaided for a week or two.
3. Ederle's handler wanted her to stick to a steady 24 strokes/min. What did THAT look like?
Swimming was very different then...but they still puked up saltwater if they had too much of it...wish I could have been there...
Comments?
Parents
Former Member
Yes, I read it a few weeks ago. It was very interesting. What I thought was especially interesting was that the Ederle that was painted in the book was far different then the Ederle that has been painted in common legend. Namely, that she wasn't just a shy, unassuming person, but actually had some vanity, ambition and all the other frailties that people are prey to.
It really was an excellent book & well-researched.
-LBJ
Yes, I read it a few weeks ago. It was very interesting. What I thought was especially interesting was that the Ederle that was painted in the book was far different then the Ederle that has been painted in common legend. Namely, that she wasn't just a shy, unassuming person, but actually had some vanity, ambition and all the other frailties that people are prey to.
It really was an excellent book & well-researched.
-LBJ
