Parade on MSN

At 20, Gertrude Ederle swam the English Channel in 1926, beating the men's record by 1 hour and 48 minutes

Gertrude Ederle was only 20 when she became the first woman to swim the English Channel and break the record.

At 20, Gertrude Ederle swam the English Channel in 1926, beating the men's record by 1 hour and 48 minutes; more than 2 million people lined her parade route in Manhattan

Gertrude Ederle, the American swimmer, achieved a historic milestone when the then 20-year-old athlete swam across the English Channel, becoming the first woman to complete the cr ...
Swimming World

The ‘Firsts’ of English Channel Crossings Can Never Be Taken Away (Check Out Some Legendary Efforts)

For more than 50 years reporters and historians have likened a 33-kilometer English Channel marathon swim to climbing Mt. Everest. There are a few dramatic differences: About three times as many ...
Sports Illustrated

#tbt: Florence Chadwick swims across the English Channel the hard way

On September 11, 1951, Florence Chadwick became the first woman to swim the English Channel the hard way. Sure, there's no easy way to swim across 30+ miles of open ocean, but Chadwick chose the ...
Mental Floss

Florence Chadwick, the Woman Who Conquered the English Channel

As she approached the shore of Sangatte, France, Florence Chadwick was exhausted. She had been swimming in the English Channel for over 16 hours, battling strong winds and thick fog that made every ...