New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-02
WOMEN AS SWIMMERS.
Miss KeIermann Says They Haze
Greater Endurance than Men.

The proverbial endurance Of women stands them
in good stead when it comes TO swimming. That is
how It happens that in Australia, which has pro-
duced the champion woman swimmer Of the world
Miss Annette Kellermann. It is common thing for
girls TO swim five miles, while not one boy in a
hundred ever does il.
But sometimes" said Miss Kellermann. in q
talk at the New Grand Hotel yesterday afternoon.
"a man has much endurance as d woman and
with his superior brute strength no woman can
hope to compete with him I don't like TO say It,,
concluded the fair champion. but it is So"
Miss Kellermann does not look as if she could
swim any further than any other young
who has had opportunity TO form aquatic habits.
She is very slight in figure, not particularly tail
and in smart tailored suit Of dark red cloth there
nothing about her to suggest the professional
athlete, yet she is the victor of many battles She
has forty long distance contests from one
mile up 10 thirty miles. and she has almost swum
the English Channel, feat that one but Cap
tain Webb has ever accomplished. She might have
got all the way had it not been for seasiek
ness and storm. and she means TO try again.
1T is like hunting for the North Pole" she said
You get fascinated with it and always want to
try again. But I wait while till I get
over the horror of the Inal-de-mer the fear Of
Il helps TO bring it It's a dreadful experience
though, TO swim the channel and very weird one.
and sbrjeks and 9jcerI ,, it SslIe
covered with black goggles fastened down with
end Of the swim lot OF The skin comes with mem
You wear a coating of lanoine about an inch and
a half thick all over your body to keep ont the
cold and the little swimming costume is as light
as possible leaving the limbs and neck bare, as
every atom Of weight IS a burden. ! have only
tried TO swim the channel twice, while the two
men who got further than 7 did have made half-a-
dozen attempts. and when ! swan with them
l got further than they did. So ] don't think /
did so badly"
Miss Kellermann says that she just drifted into
swimming she has been perfectly at home in the
water ever since she seven. but until she was
fourteen swimming shared equally in her favor
with riding, tennis and dancing. Then she hap
pened TO Fred Lee swim.
Il thought his stroke the most beautiful had
seen she said. and began initiate it. It
was the double oveTaTm stroke and l have used
IL ever since, though other swimmers think # only
suitable for short swims. Well, in few weeks I
found could swim better than any girl of my
acquaintance. Then ] entered contest and won
It. and my career a swimmer had begun
Miss kelleImann IS looking for worlds
to conqder. She talks OF swimming from the Mar
rows TO COney Island, and viii try some Of the
great rivers. She is greatly DESTROYS also Of
ing some American woman swimmer Of importance
whether they swim
II think they absolutely the Ioveliest in the
world, she declared yesterday. They so well
made. and they dress so well and walk so well In
other countries you may woman in ten
who walks well, but here ii is ten IN ten"