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
I was at the library with my kids yesterday and was looking at the sports books in the children's section. I have looked before and have not seen any swimming books; but yesterday there were THREE!
One of the books was "America's Champion Swimmer Gertrude Ederle" and is beautifully illustrated. Of course, I checked it out and read it to my kids last night. The book was published in 2000, but it is new to our library.
Needless to say, I was very excited to see any kid-focused book on swimming but even more excited to find a book about Gertrude Ederle!
I was at the library with my kids yesterday and was looking at the sports books in the children's section. I have looked before and have not seen any swimming books; but yesterday there were THREE!
One of the books was "America's Champion Swimmer Gertrude Ederle" and is beautifully illustrated. Of course, I checked it out and read it to my kids last night. The book was published in 2000, but it is new to our library.
Needless to say, I was very excited to see any kid-focused book on swimming but even more excited to find a book about Gertrude Ederle!
