In celebration of Women’s History Month, Pick Up Sticks Jewelry Company is featuring prominent women throughout the month and highlighting the impact they had on the world. And to add a little more fun to the history lesson, we are selecting jewelry charms that embody each woman’s unique personality and accomplishments. Today we are celebrating Gertrude Ederle, nicknamed “Queen of the Waves.”
Channeling Her Passion
Born in 1905, Gertrude Ederle was a champion swimmer by the time she was in her late teens. In 1926, on her second attempt, she became the first woman to swim the English Channel, finishing in 14 hours and 31 minutes, thus breaking the previous records set by male competitors. Her accomplishment dispelled conventional attitudes in the early 1900s about “the weaker sex” and proved that women could be great athletes. Eliminating that perception was the crowning achievement of her monumental career, which included being an Olympic Gold Medalist. Ederle was dubbed by President Calvin Coolidge as “America’s Best Girl.”
Leaving a Legacy
Hard of hearing herself, Gertrude went on to spend much of her adult life teaching deaf children in New York City to swim at the Lexington School for the Deaf. In 2013, the 59th Street Rec Center in New York City was renovated and renamed the Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center. The Center is not far from where Gertrude grew up and learned to swim.
Charming Gertrude
Art charms that capture Gertrude’s spirit include “Diving In,” “Hope Anchors,” and “Against the Tide.” “Diving In” exemplifies Gertrude’s can-do/won’t-quit/against-all-odds spirit. “Hope Anchors” states, “I refuse to sink” and is significant for its message of perseverance, as Gertrude moved past her first failed attempt to cross the Channel to eventually attain her goal. The latter, a mermaid-themed charm, aptly states, “She swims against the tide.” Because on that historic day, Ederle swam against more than just the tide…she also battled frigid water, multitudes of jellyfish, and treacherous seas—and she did so in a (controversial for the day) two-piece bathing suit of her own design, created specifically to minimize “drag” while in the water. Pretty ingenious and gutsy, we’d say!
Whether you are a queen of the waves yourself, have an avid swimmer in your life, or need a reminder to stick to your goals, these jewelry charms can be worn as a reminder of Gertrude Ederle and what she accomplished.
Sources:
Biography. (2019). Gertrude Ederle. [online] Available at: https://www.biography.com/people/gertrude-ederle-9284131 [Accessed 23 Feb. 2019].
DNAinfo New York. (2019). West 60th Street Rec Center Opens Its Doors After $15.3M Renovation. [online] Available at: https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130617/upper-west-side/west-60th-street-rec-center-opens-its-doors-after-153m-renovation/ [Accessed 23 Feb. 2019].