Rediscovering 'Queen of the Waves': Gertrude Ederle's legacy

She wasn’t allowed to swim in a tight-fitting swimsuit, and she heard that she would never be as good as men. When she stood on the edge of the French beach, covered from head to toe in lard, she knew she couldn’t give up even if her own coach wanted to poison her. A movie story? Yes, but it happened.

Gertrude Ederle, known as Trudy and later as the "Queen of the Waves," was an outstanding swimmer and a woman who achieved the impossible. Gold and bronze medalist at the Olympic Games, she was born in 1905 in New York to German immigrants. Her father did well as a butcher, so the Ederle family could afford a vacation home by the river. It was in those waters that Trudy understood swimming was her destiny. Although almost a hundred years ago, her name was on the lips of millions, today, she is nearly forgotten. This will change with the movie based on Glenn Stout's book "Young Woman and the Sea," which will be released on Disney+. Trudy is played by Daisy Ridley, who also played Rey in "Star Wars."

Although the Ederle family did not struggle with poverty and could afford to pay for their children’s education, the world of sports was not open to young Trudy. It was the early 20th century, and special guards measured the exposed skin of women on the beaches. Women were allowed to swim but had to be covered, and their suits couldn’t cling to their bodies.

Even the progressive Mr. Ederle couldn't imagine his daughter's future being any different than marriage and family. But people like Trudy are said to be "cut from a different cloth." For her, the impossible did not exist.

She began regular training at 12 and immediately learned to swim freestyle. Before turning 20, she had broken dozens of records. In 1924, she competed in the Olympic Games in Paris. Although she won gold in the 4×100 m freestyle relay, she finished third in the individual 100 and 400 meters. She always referred to these two bronzes as her "greatest failure."

She amazed the world by swimming the distance of over 35 kilometres between Manhattan and New Jersey (her record wasn't beaten for 80 years), but for her, it was just a warm-up. She dreamed of something much bigger: conquering the English Channel.

So she found herself in France again. Her mentor and coach was Jabez Wolffe, a great swimmer who had himself unsuccessfully attempted the distance 22 times. Unfortunately, it was a disastrous cooperation. During her first attempt in 1925, he ordered her to be pulled out of the water, claiming she was drowning. She maintained she was only resting with her face down. She also claimed that her coach had poisoned her with tea-containing sedatives. The reason? Wolffe was allegedly jealous that she might succeed at something he had dreamed of for years.

A year later, she made a second attempt, free of the envious coach's unnecessary burden. She faced the Channel’s waves covered in lard, petroleum jelly, and oil to protect herself from jellyfish and the cold. She wore a two-piece suit. She was accompanied by her loved ones, inspectors, and journalists.

Although Trudy was one of the most famous athletes in the USA, history has gradually forgotten her. We don't want to reveal the further fate of Gertrude, known as Trudy, and the finale of that August day in 1926. If you want to be captivated by the magic of the film story, wait for the movie's release on Disney+.