Marilyn Bell
Marilyn Bell, born on October 19, 1937, in Toronto, Ontario, is a renowned Canadian swimmer celebrated for her remarkable endurance feats. She gained national attention in 1954 when, at just 16 years old, she successfully swam across Lake Ontario, a challenging 52-kilometer (32-mile) journey that took her nearly twenty-one hours to complete. This swim was motivated partly by a competitive spirit and an opportunity to assert Canadian prowess in the sport, following an unsuccessful attempt by American swimmer Florence Chadwick. Bell's achievement not only made her an overnight sensation but also earned her accolades such as "Canadian Newsmaker of the Year" and the Lou Marsh Trophy for outstanding athletic achievement. In addition to the Lake Ontario swim, she became the youngest person to cross the English Channel in 1955 and completed other significant swims, including the Strait of Juan de Fuca. After marrying Joe Di Lascio in 1957 and raising four children, Bell transitioned into education while continuing to be recognized for her contributions to sports, including inductions into various sports halls of fame and receiving the Order of Ontario in 2002. Her legacy was further immortalized in the 1999 television movie, "Heart: The Marilyn Bell Story."
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Marilyn Bell
Swimmer
- Born: October 19, 1937
- Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario
Contribution: Canadian long-distance swimmer Marilyn Bell is credited as the first person to complete a solo swim of Lake Ontario in Canada. Her athletic ability and personal character won her recognition and awards throughout her swimming career.
Early Life
Marilyn Grace Bell was born on October 19, 1937, in Toronto, Ontario. At the encouragement of her parents, she joined the Lakeshore Swimming Club at Port Credit, Ontario, where she received her first training in swimming. Bell first came to the attention of the sporting world in 1954, not long before the swim across Lake Ontario, when she completed a twenty-six-mile swim in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Athletic Career
The challenging feat of endurance which Marilyn Bell undertook to swim Lake Ontario began in Youngstown, New York, on September 8, 1954. In part, the historic event can be traced to Bell’s competitive nature as well as the fact that the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto had offered $10,000 to Florence Chadwick, an American swimmer, to swim the lake as a part of a publicity stunt for the annual exhibition taking place in the city. Bell, who considered the offer as a rebuff to Canadian swimmers, decided to take up the challenge to swim the lake even without being paid to do so.
Chadwick’s bid to cross the lake ended after only a few hours, with the swimmer unable to continue due to the physical strain of the ordeal. Meanwhile, Bell, who was only sixteen years old at the time, continued the swim under very difficult conditions. Not only did she have to deal with high winds and very cold water temperatures, but lamprey eels also snapped at her legs during the crossing.
Supported by Gus Ryder, her swimming coach, Bell continued to draw nearer to her goal. After nearly twenty-one hours, Bell finally completed the fifty-two-kilometer (thirty-two-mile) swim across the lake and came ashore in Toronto. The epic swim, which was broadcast on radio and covered in the press, turned the young Bell into an overnight sporting sensation.
Although probably best remembered for the Lake Ontario swim, Marilyn Bell also performed other swimming feats during her career. She was credited as being the youngest swimmer to cross the English Channel between England and France in 1955. In 1956, Bell also undertook a challenging swim by crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which forms part of the western boundary between the United States and Canada. In 1957 she married Joe Di Lascio and the couple had four children. The family lived in New Jersey, where Bell became a teacher.
Awards
Bell’s swim across Lake Ontario turned her into a national hero, and she was named “Canadian Newsmaker of the Year” in 1954 as well as being nicknamed “Toronto’s Sweetheart” in the national media.
Bell also won the Lou Marsh Trophy in 1954 for being one of Canada’s most outstanding athletes. In 1958, she was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. The Canadian Swimming Hall of Fame also honored Bell in 1993 for her athletic achievements. Bell received the Order of Ontario in 2002 and was also the subject of a 1999 made-for-television movie, Heart: The Marilyn Bell Story, broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
Bibliography
Daubs, Katie. “Marilyn Bell: Still in the Water . . . and Loving It . . . Nearly 60 Years after her Historic Lake Ontario Swim.” thestar.com. Toronto Star Newspapers, 16 Aug. 2012. Web. 5 Aug. 2013.
Fisher, Luke, and Tanya Davies. “Marilyn Bell.” Maclean’s 25 Jan. 1999: 14. Print.
Hawthorn, Tom. “‘Canada’s Sweetheart’: Marilyn Bell, the Great Strait Swimmer.” Globe and Mail. Phillip Crawley, 23 Aug. 2012. Web. 5 Aug. 2013.
“Marilyn Bell Receives Order of Ontario.” CBC News. CBC, 22 Oct. 2003. Web. 5 Aug. 2013.
Strobel, Mike. “Marilyn Bell Deserves an Order of Canada.” Toronto Sun. Sun Media, 1 July 2013. Web. 5 Aug. 2013.