User:Alaney2k/Marilyn Swims Lake



In 1954, Canadian Marilyn Bell became the first person to swim across Lake Ontario. In the history of Canada, this was an event that provided great pride to Canadians because a Canadian woman had succeeded where an American woman had not. Prior to this, it was standard practice to consider an American first. And in fact, the race sponsor, the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) had decided to only sponsor an American woman, without considering Canadian swimmers. Marilyn's success is considered an early example of growing Canadian nationalism. The Government of Canada designated her swim a National Historic Event.

The swim
On September 8, 1954, at 11:07 pm, Bell started her swim across Lake Ontario from Youngstown, New York, at virtually the same time as world famous United States long-distance swimmer Florence Chadwick. The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto had offered Chadwick $10,000 to swim the lake as a publicity effort for the annual exhibition. The offer to Chadwick had disappointed Canadian swimmers, Bell included, who had expected the CNE to hold a marathon race. Because of the criticism, the CNE decided to allow other swimmers, at first as part of a relay race, but Bell decided to try the whole swim herself. According to Bell, she "did it for Canada." Bell took on the challenge without pay with the encouragement of Alexandrine Gibb, a Toronto Daily Star reporter. A third swimmer, Torontonian Winnie Roach, who had swam the English Channel, also decided to swim the lake.

After several hours, Chadwick was forced to give up with stomach pains and vomiting at 6 am. Roach quit at about three-quarters distance, due to cramps. Bell swam for 20 hours and 59 minutes before she finally reached a breakwater near the Boulevard Club, west of the CNE grounds. The planned route straight across the lake was 51.5 km, but she actually had to swim much further because of strong winds and the lack of modern navigation equipment. Waves that day were almost 5 m high, (up to 15 ft), water temperature was 21 °C (65 °F) and lamprey eels were attacking her legs and arms.

Bell kept up her strength with Pablum, corn syrup, and lemon juice with water, along with heroic encouragement from her boat crew, including fellow swimmer Joan Cooke and her coach, Gus Ryder. Radio stations broadcast hourly reports of her progress and rival newspapers published “extra” editions throughout the day. At the start, Bell was accompanied by two boats, but a flotilla of boats gathered around her by mid-day. When she finally arrived at about 8:15 p.m., a crowd estimated at over 250,000 was gathered to see her arrive. CNE officials had hoped that Bell would arrive at the CNE waterfront, where a grandstand had been set up, but Ryder guided her to Sunnyside where the amusement park was brightly lit and she could navigate to, and the waves were smaller.

Bell was the first person ever to swim the 32 mi distance. The CNE decided to give Bell the $10,000 prize, and she was later given numerous gifts, including a car, television, clothing, and furniture. In an article, Bell later thanked the Toronto community for the support, especially Alexandrine Gibb, the Star reporter.

Bell's swim was front-page news in Toronto. The Toronto Telegram, The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star all competed to get her interview. The Star had signed for an exclusive, providing boats to the swim team, but the Telegram tried to "scoop" the story by having a Telegram reporter pose as a nurse.

Marilyn Bell