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?
I read the book a few weeks ago and loved it. I thought it was both interesting and inspiring. Besides fighting the English Channel, these women all had to battle the stereotypes and attitudes towards women that were popular in the 1920's. I especially found it interesting that Ederle and her sister made her suits and goggles (I guess Speedo wasn't around then...).
A couple other great open water swimming books are Lynne Cox's "Swimming to Antarctica" and "Grayson".
I read the book a few weeks ago and loved it. I thought it was both interesting and inspiring. Besides fighting the English Channel, these women all had to battle the stereotypes and attitudes towards women that were popular in the 1920's. I especially found it interesting that Ederle and her sister made her suits and goggles (I guess Speedo wasn't around then...).
A couple other great open water swimming books are Lynne Cox's "Swimming to Antarctica" and "Grayson".
