Bell's swim across Lake Ontario
Marilyn Bell, a sixteen-year-old swimmer, gained national recognition for her historic swim across Lake Ontario in September 1954. Prior to this significant feat, she had already made waves in the swimming world by becoming the first female finisher in the Atlantic City Marathon. Her decision to swim Lake Ontario was influenced by a publicity stunt where a rival swimmer was offered a substantial reward for completing the challenging 32-mile course.
On September 8, Bell and her competitors began their swims in difficult conditions, facing waves and currents that extended her journey by nearly eight additional miles. While prominent swimmer Florence Chadwick gave up after fifteen miles, Bell persevered through numbness and cold, eventually reaching the Toronto shore after approximately twenty-one hours. This remarkable achievement not only made her a national hero in Canada but also challenged societal norms regarding female athletes and their capabilities, as many believed women should not participate in endurance sports.
Bell's achievement was significant in the context of sports history, particularly as women were still barred from events like the Olympic marathon for decades following her swim. Her legacy continues to be celebrated, as she was later inducted into Canada's Sports and Swimming Halls of Fame, acknowledging her substantial contributions to women's athletics.
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Bell's swim across Lake Ontario
The Event First person to swim across the width of Lake Ontario
Date September 8-9, 1954
An event that captured great public attention in Canada, Marilyn Bell’s swimming achievement inspired women athletes and helped reduce public resistance to women competing in long-distance sports.
Prior to swimming across Lake Ontario, sixteen-year-old Marilyn Bell’s prior swimming accomplishments included completing the 1954 Atlantic City Marathon as the first female finisher. She decided to swim Lake Ontario when the Canadian National Exhibition and Toronto Telegram, seeking publicity, promised Florence Chadwick, an accomplished American swimmer, ten thousand dollars to become the first person to swim thirty-two miles across that lake. The Toronto Daily Star sponsored Bell during an intense rivalry with the Toronto Telegram.
An hour before midnight on September 8, Bell and her competitors began their swims at Youngstown, New York. Conditions were miserable, but Bell persevered. Waves and currents pulled her off course, adding about eight miles to her swim. Chadwick swam fifteen miles before quitting. Although her legs were numb, Bell determinedly pulled herself through the cool water. Bell came ashore in Toronto approximately twenty-one hours later. The news media praised Bell’s accomplishment in special editions, transforming her into a Canadian national hero.
Impact
Bell’s swim publicly proved that female athletes were capable of participating in sustained activities that require strength and endurance. At the time Bell conquered Lake Ontario, most women were denied the right to compete in sporting competitions involving distances. Many people thought such sports were harmful to women. Despite Bell’s athletic accomplishments, women could not run in Olympic marathons until thirty years after her Lake Ontario swim. Canada’s Sports and Swimming Halls of Fame inducted Bell, acknowledging her superb athleticism.
Bibliography
McAllister, Ron. Swim to Glory: The Story of Marilyn Bell and the Lakeshore Swimming Club. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1954. This contemporary account discusses Bell’s athleticism and her work with handicapped swimmers.
Morrow, Don, et al. A Concise History of Sport in Canada. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1989. A comprehensive survey that comments on Bell’s contribution to advancing women’s sports.