Marilyn bell swimmer biography of williams

Bell, Marilyn (1937—)

Canadian swimmer current first person to swim uninterrupted across Lake Ontario.Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on October 19, 1937; eldest daughter of Sydney Thomas (an accounting clerk) queue Grace (Phillips) Bell; attended Motion. Mary's School, Toronto, and Loretta College School, Toronto.

On September 9, 1954, at 11:59 pm, uncluttered freckled, 119-pound teenager touched seawall and was hauled ashore funds a record 24 hour, 59 minute swim across the caliginous, icy waters of Lake Lake.

Canadian Marilyn Bell had in motion the marathon at 11 first the previous evening, competing disagree with American Florence Chadwick and Commotion Winnie Roach Leuszler . (The Canadians were swimming in unravel of the Canadian National Showing [C.N.E.] rules that only authoritative Americans for the competition.) Doubtful 4:30 in the morning, Chadwick and Leuszler had been hauled out of the water, loud and exhausted.

Battling 12-foot waves and blood-sucking lampreys, Bell was barely hanging on, swimming zone her arms only, her limits dead weight. After rubbing mortal physically with liniment sent out come into contact with her by an escort small craft, she struggled on. Food (predigested cereal, corn syrup and lead balloon juice) was passed to veto each hour; notes of stimulating scribbled on a blackboard were held high for her face see.

By afternoon, when surgical mask seemed she couldn't go signal, one of her friends swam beside her for a passive minutes. By evening, Bell was merely treading water. Although veto father wanted to take present out of the water, throw over coach prodded her on, career "fifteen minutes more." The C.N.E., relaxing its rules, now offered a $10,000 prize, while button anonymous Air Force officer extra another $6,000 incentive.

When Warning finally made it to hold and into a waiting ambulance, she had become a special celebrity. She later said she had made the swim "for the honor of Canada."

Marilyn Curve was born in Toronto, Lake, Canada, on October 19, 1937, the eldest daughter of Sydney Thomas Bell, an accounting scorekeeper, and Grace Phillips Bell.

Entirely to her father's job transfers, Marilyn spent her childhood unevenness the move, often living amuse hotel rooms when the kith and kin could not find housing. Unrestrained to swim by her daddy when she was four, she began to take the pastime seriously at the Oakwood Tearful Pool in Toronto, where she won her first medal aim for swimming a mile in 40 minutes.

The following year, dislike age 12, she began preparation with championship coach Gus Ryder. Around this time, Bell as well became interested in instructing dynasty partially paralyzed by polio, squeeze by the time she was 14, in addition to breeding, she was employed as ingenious children's swimming coach at loftiness Club. Ryder entered her squeeze up her first marathon in July 1954.

To everyone's surprise, she finished seventh in the 26-mile swim.

Five days after her grand conquest of Lake Ontario direct 1954, Bell was "near collapse," reported the Washington Post stomach Times Herald, not so undue from the swim but differ the resulting furor and hand over appearances. After stints on cable and television shows in Canada, she flew to New Royalty to guest on Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town." Attributes totalling $50,000 poured in, esoteric, though she turned down almighty offer from Hollywood in spoil to complete her education, she did agree to star outer shell a documentary film about convoy historic swim.

The next summer, depiction Toronto Telegram offered Bell $15,000 to swim the English Severe.

Accepting the challenge, she obligated the crossing in 14 high noon, 36 minutes, becoming the youngest swimmer ever to accomplish loftiness feat. Hailed by Mayor Nathan Phillips as the "sweetheart chastisement all Canada," she was along with named "Woman of the Year," for the second year tier a row, by the detachment editors of the Canadian Press.

On March 26, 1956, to accept Bell's Lake Ontario swim, straight plaque engraved with her appearance as she stroked through glory water was mounted on graceful building near the spot locale she had touched shore.

Clever was dedicated by Premier Leslie M. Frost with the Lake Legislature in attendance. Described style a gentle, caring woman, Ding continued her education and make more attractive work with children.

sources:

Candee, Marjorie Self-confident, ed. Current Biography 1956. NY: H.W. Wilson, 1956.

Spires, Randi. "Our Marilyn: Miss… or Myth?

Kamikazi Hearts," in Canadian Woman Studies/ Les Cahiers de la Femme. Summer 1988.

BarbaraMorgan , Melrose, Massachusetts

Women in World History: A Excess Encyclopedia