Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-17
EVEN CHAMPION SWIMMER ONCE
FEARED TO VENTURE INTO WATER
Miss Olga Dorfner Possessor of Championship Titles,
Says She Used to Hang Onto Rail Of the Pool,
and That Instinct Doesn't Help
TF ONLY we could catch that little bird

TF ONLY we could catch that little bird
i who tells" what story he could
reveal Of wailing and gnashing Of teeth
among the host Of women whose attempt
TO conquer that elusive something in the
art OF swimming that keeps one afioat
have ended In miserable failure to do
anything but guip and sink
Never mind. faint hearts, the consoling
news reaches us that even the great have
passed through this rail-clinging, sasplng
stage, and that after all our intuition
isn't such an infallible source Of guidance
as we have been led to believe.
According to the young Philadelphia
miss who holds all Eastern records Tor
short-distance swimming and has won
the national championship for plunBing,
intuition isn't any more dependable IN
telling us just how to navigate stream
properly than II is reliable in gauging the
proper amount Of flour for the griddle
cakes or water In stewing peas.
INTUITION NOT ENOUGH.
OF course, intuitlvely. women know how
to stew peas and (some) to swim, but this
story hinges on the word properly.
What ls worth doing is worth doing
well, and Olga Dorfner, the champion
girl swimmer, as her records snow
Bwims exceedingly we'll
To swim properly, she believes 1t is first
OF all necessary TO acquire good form.
There is a psychological second for every
and there is a certain 1uNta-
position Of arms, legs and body at every |
count according TO this young mistress OF
the art. To acquire grace and case In the |
water, according to Miss Dorfner, II Is |
e. and |
knowing II, it is within reach Of all TO |
anything in the way OF pro-
oeling ones self through the water.
She explained, In modest. girlish FASH
on. the relaxed, supple state Of limbs
md body necessary to good form, empha-
sizing, however. the fact that at the same
line there should he that happy combina-
ion of strength and grace in arms and
egs to permit of making good time with
'asy strokes
II WAS AFRAID AT FIRST"
She laughed infectiously at the ques-
ion as to whether she just glided into
he water the very first time and struck
ut successfully. mo, indeed" she re-
lied. ~ was quite afraid at first and
sed to hnng on to the rail Of the pool
o desperatelyq at times that II was re-
orted Go my father, who threatened to
my lessons II didn't stop II"
Miss Olga was tutored at first under
n ex-ohampion swimmer OF England and
lter by Noah Marks. at the Turnge-
leinde pool. This was four and half
ears ago, since which time this little
idy has won the national championship
Or women for plunging making 56 feet In
2-5 seconds. and winning the title of
hampton of short distance sprints. hold
~ at present all records for 40 so. so, 100,
%. 440 and $50 yards.
swimming is a splendid method of de-
eoping every part of the body and a
reat health producer. haven't had sick
ess of any kind since l took up SWIM
ing" said this girl OF seventeen and
llf summers. who looks the very essence
physical perfection. "I advise learning
ie breast stroke first; then the under
I'm, single overarm. trudEeon. and last of
! the crawl In this way every muscle I
the body is brought into play
SHORT DISTANCES BEST. 9
Il do all my sprints with the crawl
roke, because there is less resistance as
e body is skimming more along the sur
zee of the water. while in the trudgeon !
roke the body Is more submerged. !
,ver do long-distance swimming" she J
lded, "as 1t spoils one's form for short /
rints.
Doctors advise one to stay in the water =
It more than 20 or 30 minutes at one
me-" and she smiled half seriously, half I
Ischievously, but l stay in couple of =
urs at the very least. OF course, 4
ink people who are troubled with weak p
arts are wise to limit their time to 10 or s
minutes" d
Miss Dorfner concluded her dissertation .
swimming with the remark which is al q
Iys greeted with open-mouthed and un-
iGuised awe by the nonswlmming set
no usually have inside information quite
the contrary that ut is impossible to
TX. She referred, OF course, to the posi-