On September 11 1951, Florence Chadwick emerged onto French soil and became the first woman to swim round-trip across the English Channel. By successfully completing her 16-hour swim, Chadwick proved to the world that women were just as capable as men at long-distance swimming.
Born in San Diego, CA, in 1918, Chadwick’s California location allowed her to cultivate a love for swimming at a young age. Competing in swimming races at age six, Chadwick practiced in strenuous conditions – night, fog, and against strong winds – to improve her skills. By 13, she placed second at the U.S. national championships. After graduating from San Diego State College, Chadwick produced aquatic shows for the U.S. military and swam with water ballet star, Esther Williams, in MGM’s musical film, “Bathing Beauty.”
Although Chadwick enjoyed her Hollywood success, she had her heart set on making swimming history. Inspired by Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel one-way from France to England, Chadwick wanted to swim the body of water round-trip. This was a challenging feat as the currents were much stronger from England to France. Working at an American oil company as a comptometer during World War II, she practiced up to 10 hours swimming in the Persian Gulf. After two years of training in the Middle East, Chadwick completed the first leg of her English Channel swim, from France to England, in August of 1950. Her 13-hour trip already made her the fastest woman to swim across the Channel.
Chadwick delayed her return trip until September 11 to avoid rough weather while loading up on calories for the impending frigid endurance swim. 16 hours and 22 minutes later, Chadwick made a world record with her return swim to France. After this accomplishment, she continued to set more swimming records, including crossing the Catalina Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar, until she retired in 1960. When she died in 1995 of leukemia, Chadwick’s ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean and her boundary-breaking swims continue to inspire female athletes.
