Florence Chadwick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Florence May Chadwick
|
|
|---|---|
Florence May Chadwick in 1963
|
|
| Born | November 9, 1918 |
| Died | March 15, 1995 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | long distance swimming |
Florence May Chadwick was an amazing American swimmer. She was famous for swimming very long distances in open water, like oceans and channels. She was the first woman to swim across the English Channel in both directions. She even set new speed records each time! Florence also conquered other tough swims, like the Catalina Channel, the Straits of Gibraltar, the Bosporus, and the Dardanelles.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Florence Chadwick was born in San Diego, California, on November 9, 1918. Her father, Richard Chadwick, was a police officer. Her mother, Mary Lacko, was a homemaker who later ran a restaurant.
Florence grew up in the Point Loma area of San Diego. She graduated from Point Loma Junior-Senior High School in 1936. Later, she attended San Diego State College.
Swimming Career
Florence Chadwick started swimming in competitions when she was very young. She won her first race at just ten years old. She soon realized she loved swimming in the ocean more than in pools. From age eleven, she began competing in rough water swims.
For many years, she swam in ocean races in Southern California as an amateur. But her biggest dream was to swim the English Channel. In 1950, she tried to join a Channel-swimming contest. She was turned down because she wasn't famous enough. So, she decided to try swimming it on her own. Her first attempt in July failed after 14 hours in the water.
Conquering the English Channel
On August 8, 1950, when she was 32, Florence achieved her dream. She swam across the English Channel from France to England. It took her 13 hours and 23 minutes. This broke the women's record held by another American swimmer, Gertrude Ederle.
One year later, Florence swam the English Channel again. This time, she went from England to France. She finished in 16 hours and 22 minutes. This made her the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. She also set a new record for the England-to-France journey.
In the summer of 1953, she successfully swam the Channel once more. She set another new women's record. That same year, she also swam the Strait of Gibraltar, setting an all-time record of 5 hours and 6 minutes. She also conquered the Bosporus (one way) and the Dardanelles (a round trip). In 1955, she swam the Channel again, breaking her own record time. In August 1957, she swam the Bristol Channel. This 11-mile swim took her a record-breaking 6 hours and 7 minutes.
Tough Challenges and Lessons Learned
Not all of Florence's long-distance swims were successful. But she learned important lessons from them.
In 1952, Florence tried to swim 26 miles from Catalina Island to the California coastline. Small boats watched over her for sharks and were ready to help. After about 15 hours, a thick fog rolled in. Florence started to doubt herself. She told her mother, who was in one of the boats, that she didn't think she could make it. She swam for another hour. Then, she asked to be pulled out because she couldn't see the coastline. Once in the boat, she found out she had stopped just one mile from her goal!
Two months later, she tried the Catalina swim again. The same thick fog appeared. But this time, she succeeded! She later said she kept a mental image of the shoreline in her mind while she swam. She swam the Catalina Channel two more times after that.
In 1954, she tried to be the first person to swim across Lake Ontario. However, she had to give up after getting sick a few hours into her swim. Other attempts that didn't work out included the Strait of Juan de Fuca and two tries at the Irish Sea. Her last major swim attempt was in 1960.
Later Life and Legacy
Florence Chadwick was married and divorced twice. She did not have any children.
She passed away from leukemia in San Diego in 1995. Her ashes were scattered into the ocean near Point Loma.
Interesting Facts About Florence Chadwick
- At age 10, she became the youngest person to swim across the mouth of San Diego Bay.
- Florence won an annual 2.5-mile ocean race off La Jolla 10 times over 18 years.
- She swam the English Channel four times in total.
- She promoted products and was a spokesperson for Catalina Swimwear for many years.
- Chadwick also taught swimming. She worked with famous swimmer Esther Williams to create swimming scenes for movies.
- She also worked as a credit counselor and a stockbroker.
- In 1955, she appeared as a guest on the TV show "What's My Line?".
Recognition and Awards
Florence Chadwick received many honors for her incredible achievements.
- In 1962, she was inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame by the San Diego Hall of Champions.
- In 1970, she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
