During the 26-year period between 1970 and 1995, when the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) added an Open Water Swimming category to its existing classifications, no open water swimmers were selected for inclusion in the International Swimming Hall of Fame. During that period, a number of well-qualified and renowned open water swimmers were
The incomparable Mercedes Gleitze completed a 30-hour solo swim in Cork in February 25th-26th 1930. The swim took place in the Eglington Street Baths. The Munster Branch of the Irish ASA provided stewards. Mercedes' main nourishment consisted of Bradley's bottled milk and ground coffee. Isabel Burke of Rocksavage, Cork penned the following, dedicated to
Doloranda Hannah Pember, the daughter of Mercedes Gleitze accepted her mother's award as an Honour Pioneer Swimmer at 2013 the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame ceremonies in Cork, Ireland. Pember is putting together an biography of her mother that covers her mother's swimming career and the way she managed it. "The biography is littered with
Mercedes Gleitze wrote many years ago, "Sea swimming is a beautiful thing, in fact an art. An art whose mistress should be not the few, but the many. What could possibly speak more for man's prowess as an athlete than the ability to master earth's most abundant, most powerful element - water, no matter what its mood." Gleitze's daughter Doloranda Hannah
Representatives of the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association and other guests were invited to a special screening of Mercedes: The Spirit of a New Age, a film producer by talented filmmaker Clare Delargy, about the remarkable life of Mercedes Gleitze. Gleitze's daughter Doloranda Pember also attended the world premiere in the beautiful private cinema in
Katerina Nehua was an endurance swimmer from New Zealand who competed in a number of endurance events during the Depression Era including a second-place finish at the 1931 Manly International 500 Endurance Swimming Contest to Mercedes Gleitze. Her defeat spurred her on. Later in 1931, Nehua broke the world record at Sydney's Balmoral Baths when she swam
The 1931 Manly International 500 Endurance Swimming Contest was the first professional swimming contest of its kind in Australia as well as a charity swim for the Manly Hospital Citizens' Relief Fund. 60 swimmers from England, America, Italy, New Zealand and Australia including English Channel and Strait of Gibraltar swimmer Mercedes Gleitze, New Zealand
Mercedes Gleitz has been selected as Pioneer Honoree for the International Swimming Hall of Fame Class of 2013. Her remarkable life is being commemorated in a documentary that is being filmed now. She was one of the most remarkable women of the 20th century. In 1927, the relentless Londoner became the first English woman to swim the English Channel...on
This article is taken from Skegness, Mablethorpe And Alford News of June 26th 1929 and was headlined Miss Gleitz swims the Wash - Successful at Third Attempt - Butterwlk to Heacham in 13 1/4 hours. Miss Mercedes Gleitz, the Channel swimmer who gave exhibitions at the Skegness bathing Pool during White Week, succeeded last Thursday (20th, June) in swimming
Mercedes Gleitze was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honour Swimmer in 1969. And rightly so for Gleitze was a remarkable individual. In 1927, the relentless Londoner became the first English woman to swim the English Channel...on her eighth attempt. She then tried to cross the North Channel several times without
