07/14/2026
As a child, Trudy Ederle survived a severe case of measles that damaged her hearing. Few could have imagined that the water would eventually make her one of the most famous athletes in the world.
At 18, she won Olympic gold. Then, in 1926, she became the first woman to swim the English Channel. Only five men had ever completed the crossing, but Ederle did more than join them. Her time of 14 hours and 34 minutes shattered the existing record by nearly two hours.
Her hearing continued to deteriorate later in life, but her connection to the water never disappeared. Ederle eventually spent years teaching deaf children how to swim, passing on the skill that had once carried her into history.