The story of competitive swimmer Gertrude Ederle, who, in 1926, was the first woman to ever swim across the English Channel.
The daughter of a German butcher from Manhattan, Gertrude Ederle was a competitive swimmer who won gold in the 1924 Olympics when she decided to attempt crossing the channel. She undertook the feat after first swimming 22 miles from Battery Park in New York to Sandy Hook, NJ, setting a record that stood for 81 years. She contracted with two newspapers and sold her story, thereby financing her quest. There was actually a race among women who would be first to cross as only five men had done so before.
A young Trudy Ederle, suffering from measles, witnesses a burning ferry capsize in New York City in 1914, which results in the deaths of hundreds of passengers. After discovering that the majority of the deceased were women because they were unable to swim, Trudy's mother, Gertrude, is appalled by the incident and decides to teach her siblings, Meg and Henry Jr., how to swim in order to ensure their survival, while preventing Trudy from going near water because of her illness. Trudy recovers from measles, which is unexpected. After convincing her strict father, Henry, to let her, she starts swimming at the age of twelve after becoming enthralled with the sport. Gertrude then arranges for them to become members of the Women's Swimming Association, where they will be taught by the brash Charlotte Epstein. Epstein prefers Meg, who initially passes Trudy over, but she agrees to train Trudy as well, and he advances quickly. Trudy's performance continues to improve over time, and she sets a number of world records, but Meg's progress is much more modest.
The American Olympic Union (AOU) approaches the Ederles in 1924 about competing in the Paris Olympics, but only Trudy receives an invitation. Then, swimmer Jabez Wolffe, who made an unsuccessful attempt to cross the English Channel, is brought on as coach of the U.S. women's team. Trudy only takes home bronze in the 100-meter and 400-meter freestyle events, though, because the sexist Wolffe keeps them from training properly. Her disappointment only grows when she returns to New York and learns that Meg has been engaged to be married in a scheme hatched by their father while she was away.
Trudy becomes inspired to try the feat herself after meeting Bill Burgess, the second swimmer to successfully cross the Channel. She approaches AOU member James Sullivan to sponsor the attempt, enlisting Epstein's assistance. Although Sullivan, who opposes female athletes, rejects the idea, he agrees to sponsor it on the proviso that Trudy swim from New York to New Jersey in three hours. Despite having to work with Wolffe as her coach, Trudy easily defeats it and secures the sponsorship.
Trudy trains at the Cap Gris-Nez in France, where she makes friends with Benji, a fellow swimmer trying to cross the 21-mile (34-kilometer) Channel. There, she frequently fights with Wolffe, who tries to manage her training. Trudy makes her first attempt on July 10, 1926, following Benji's almost disastrous attempt. Under Wolffe's guidance, Trudy performs admirably at first, but the former, envious of the latter's advancement, allegedly tampers with her tea, confusing her and ending the attempt. Henry and Meg visit Trudy while she is recuperating and try to take her home, but Burgess stops them and offers to train her after realizing Wolffe's deceit.
Resolved, Trudy sneaks out of her return trip home and starts getting ready for another attempt, forcing Burgess to swear not to save her if she fails. Sullivan learns of Trudy's deceit in the interim, and he alerts the media to her next attempt. Trudy starts the second attempt on August 6, 1926, with Burgess, Henry, and Meg serving as her guiding team. The progress of the attempt is being tracked globally with the help of the press. Before facing the last obstacle-crossing the Goodwin Sands to get to England-Trudy continues her attempt despite getting stung by jellyfish. She chooses to swim alone rather than give up when her guide boat is unable to follow her into the shallow waters. Her team reaches Dover by nightfall, but Trudy has lost her way while swimming in open waters. But the town's residents light bonfires on the beaches to serve as a beacon for her. As word gets out about her success, Trudy is given a ticker-tape parade through the city when she returns to New York. She tells her family and Epstein about it and gives them credit for her success.
Trudy set the world record for crossing the Channel in 14 hours and 31 minutes, beating the record held by a man by two hours, according to the intertitles before the movie's closing credits. She eventually lost her hearing and devoted her life to teaching deaf children how to swim before passing away in 2003 at the age of 98.
