Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel in…
Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926, beating the men's record by nearly two hours. She was 19 years old when she swam 21 miles across the Channel in 14 hours 31 minutes, on August 6th 1926. She covered herself in a thick mixture of lard, olive oil and lanolin to protect herself in the frigid waters. Born and raised in New York, Gertrude was a swimmer in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, winning 1 gold and two bronze medals.