In the 1920s, swimming across the Channel was a feat bordering on the legendary. A feat that only very few men had achieved. When Trudy Ederle, a slender American girl, announced that she wanted to try crossing in 1926there were very few who took her seriously, in an era in which prejudices towards female abilities were the norm.
His incredible story, which broke the mold of the past, premieres tonight on Rai 1 at 9.30 pm in the film “The Girl from the Sea” (2024), starring Daisy Ridley. The film tells the crucial role of Trudy’s determination in overcoming not only the icy waters, but also a fate that seemed sealed. Born in Manhattan, New York, in 1905, she was the third of six children of a couple of Dutch origins. Having miraculously survived as a child a severe form of measles that had damaged her hearing, her vocation was born from a tragedy: when, at the age of 9, she learned that only women had died during a ship fire, solely because they didn’t know how to swim, she asked her parents to start a swimming course. But the passion for competitive sport only arrived at the age of 15. And she soon distinguished herself in competitions so much so that she was the first holder of 5 world records. At the 1924 Games in Paris he won the gold medal with the US 4x100m freestyle relay team, plus two individual bronze medals in the 100m and 400m. In 1925 he swam 21 miles (about 34 km) across New York Bay, from Manhattan to Sandy Hook, in 7 hours and 11 minutes, setting a new all-time record (male and female). That year she also attempted the Channel crossing, but had to abandon due to disqualification, having been supported by one of the coaches during a coughing fit. But he didn’t give up and tried again When he crossed the Channel in 14 hours and 34 minutes on 6 August 1926, he broke the male record of the time. After the feat, she was acclaimed by huge crowds in New York, but over time her figure was largely forgotten. She herself preferred to dedicate herself to teaching deaf children to swim rather than to life as a star. In 1965 she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He died on November 30, 2003, aged 98.
The real story, which the film “Girl from the Sea” tells based on the 2009 book of the same name by Glenn Stout, has all the connotations of the classic Disney tale about going beyond one’s limits. Nevertheless, directed by Norwegian Joachim Rønning avoid building a superheroine. What emerges is the deeply human story of a young woman who, fighting against adversity and searching for herself, not only performed a revolutionary athletic gesture, but changed the perception of women’s sport forever.
