Gertrude Ederle

As the storm raged on, Gertrude Ederle gasped for air as the waves crashed over her, fighting on in hopes of reaching the English shores. And that was no easy task. The 35-mile swim across the English Channel required swimming through jellyfish, frigid waters, and waves that reached as high as six feet. Previously, only five people had accomplished that feat. They were all men. Just a year after her first failed attempt, Ederle was back in the water determined to succeed.

"It was just that everybody was saying it couldn't be done," said Ederle in a 2001 New York Times interview. "I wanted to prove it could be done."

Born on October 23, 1906, in New York City to German immigrants, Ederle learned to swim in the local public pool and the New Jersey beach. By her early teens, Ederle had dropped out of school in order to pursue her passion for swimming full-time. At 16, Ederle won her first local competition. Just two years later, Ederle was representing the United States at the 1924 Paris Olympics.