Gertrude Ederle: People Said Women Were Too Weak… She Swam the English Channel
In 1926, people said women were too weak to swim the English Channel. Gertrude Ederle swam it through a storm — nearly two hours faster than any man. Learn five B1 words and how to use too … to with the true story of Gertrude Ederle.
Coming 14 December 2026, 3:00 pm New York time
Transcript
Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.
A London newspaper wrote that women would always be the weaker sex.
On the same day, a young woman was swimming across the cold sea from France to England.
This is the story of Gertrude Ederle.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
. A is a person who swims, often in races.
At the 1924 Olympics, the young won three medals.
. A is a narrow sea between two coasts.
The English is the sea between England and France.
. To something is to go from one side to the other.
In 1925, she tried to the .
. are special glasses that keep water out of your eyes.
She wore sealed with wax.
. The is the rise and fall of the sea, which also moves the water along the coast.
Strong pushed her off course.
Now, one pattern: too, plus an adjective, plus to and a verb.
It means it is not possible.
Women were too weak to swim it, they said.
Ready? Let's begin.
Gertrude Ederle was born in New York in 1905.
Her father had a butcher's shop.
He taught her to swim with a rope around her waist.
As a child, an illness damaged her hearing, but she kept swimming.
She trained very hard.
At the 1924 Olympics, the young won three medals: one gold and two bronze.
The English is the sea between England and France.
It is cold and rough, and only five men had ever swum across it.
In 1925, she tried to the .
After about nine hours, her trainer thought she was in trouble.
Someone touched her, so the swim was over.
She did not agree.
Would she try again?
Many people said no woman could do it.
Women were too weak to swim it, they said.
On 6 August 1926, she jumped into the sea in France again.
Her body was covered in against the cold.
She wore sealed with wax and a swimsuit that she designed herself.
The sea was rough, and in the afternoon a storm came.
Strong pushed her off course.
Because of them, she swam about 35 miles, not 21.
In the storm, her trainer shouted from the , "Gertie, you must come out!"
She answered, "What for?"
And she kept swimming.
At night, she walked out of the sea in England.
She had swum for about fourteen and a half hours, nearly two hours faster than any man before her.
Back in New York, about two million people came to see her parade.
Later, she lost most of her hearing, and she taught deaf children to swim.
She died in 2003, aged 98.
Let's review. At the 1924 Olympics, the young won three medals.
The English is the sea between England and France.
In 1925, she tried to the .
She wore sealed with wax.
Strong pushed her off course.
And remember: women were too weak to swim it, they said.
Gertrude Ederle's story teaches us: when people say you can't, ask them: what for?
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Step 3
Words from the story
Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.
Great work, you know every word in this story. Now try the quiz below.
swimmer noun
a person who swims, often in races
“At the 1924 Olympics, the young swimmer won three medals.”
channel noun
a narrow sea between two coasts
“The English Channel is the sea between England and France.”
cross verb
to go from one side to the other
“In 1925, she tried to cross the Channel.”
goggles noun
special glasses that keep water out of your eyes
“She wore goggles sealed with wax.”
tide noun
the rise and fall of the sea, which also moves the water along the coast
“Strong tides pushed her off course.”
grease noun
a thick, oily substance
“Her body was covered in grease against the cold.”
boat noun
a small ship
“Her trainer shouted from the boat.”
jellyfish noun
a soft sea animal that can sting
“There were jellyfish in the water.”
Grammar in the story
too + adjective + to + verb
We use it for: to say that something is not possible because of how much of a quality there is
- Women were too weak to swim it, they said.
- The water was too cold to swim in.
From the story
- Women were too weak to swim it, they said.
- I was too tired to walk home.
Find it in the story 3 times
Your turn
Women were weak to swim it, they said.
The sea was too rough swim in.
He was too tired the race.
Step 4
Story Challenge
7 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.
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Take it further
Before you watch: Can you swim? What is the longest distance you have swum?
After you watch: Write three sentences with too … to. For example: The tea was too hot to drink. I was too tired to go out. The box was too heavy to lift.
Think about it: People said women were too weak. Gertrude answered, “What for?” Have people ever said you couldn’t do something?
