06/07/2026
Today we celebrate the birthday of honoree Annette Kellerman, an Australian swimmer who played a huge role in popularizing open water and marathon swimming and the use of swimsuits that we now take for granted! Annette Kellerman was born on July 6, 1886 in Marrickville, New South Wales, to two professional musicians. Annette was quite sickly as a child and also contracted polio, which required her to wear braces on her legs. Her mother took her to the nearby Cavill Baths named after honorees the Cavil family for swimming lessons, where she learned the basics of swimming. Thanks to regular swimming, she no longer needed to use braces on her legs by the age of 15.
She achieved outstanding results at a young age and won her first state title as a teenager, in the 100-yard swim, which she completed in 1 minute and 18 seconds! Her first long-distance swim was 10 miles in the Yarra River in Melbourne. In 1904, at the age of 17, they moved to England, because by then Annette's performance work had become increasingly popular. In addition to the shows, she did not stop swimming in open water. In England, she was even less known than in her native country, and in order to attract attention, she made a longer swim on the River Thames from Putney Bridge to Blackwall, which meant a swim of about 27 kilometers. As she moved down the Thames, increasing crowds followed her from the shore. By the time she reached her destination at Blackwall, thousands had gathered in the harbor to celebrate her achievement. It was her swim that caught the attention of journalist Lord Northcliffe, who contracted her to swim the English Channel.
Annette was preparing to become the first woman to swim the English Channel and therefore swam from one city to another along the English coast on a daily basis. 7.2 km from Dover to St. Margaret's Bay, 17 km from Dover to Deal, 18 km from Deal to Ramsgate, 16 km from Ramsgate to Margate, and finally 38 km from Dover to Ramsgate.
In the end, Annette never managed to cross the Channel, and her longest attempt lasted 10 and a half hours. None of her three attempts were successful.
After her unsuccessful Channel crossings, Annette took part in a 7-mile "Seine Swim through Paris" race, where she beat 16 men to the finish line. According to old records, half a million spectators watched the swim.
Because of her experiences during the swims, Annette wore a unique, body-hugging, sleeveless, one-piece universal swimsuit, which was considered quite scandalous at the time! In 1907, she wore a similar dress on Boston's Revere Beach, leading to her arrest for indecency. Her determined demeanor and faith, along with her arguments for safety, convinced the judges. This precedent set the foundation for the modern women's swimsuit design and fit.
On July 30, 1908, Annette Kellerman competed in the Boston Light Swim. The race started from the cold Revere Beach to the lighthouse furthest from the city. She faced many difficulties during the 8-mile distance and her performance impressed the locals, but she was forced to give up the race due to exhaustion not far from the finish line.
Before retiring, Annette defeated Baroness Isa Cescu, Austria's most famous swimmer, in a 22-mile Danube river race from Tulln to Vienna.
In 1910, Annette married her press agent, James Sullivan, who also took over her management duties.
During World War II, Annette returned to Australia, worked for the Red Cross in Queensland, and, returning to her old roots, entertained soldiers stationed in the state.
In 1961, Annette and her husband retired. Annette continued to swim daily and it remained a major part of her daily life. She claimed that her greatest achievement was helping female swimmers get rid of the cumbersome, neck-to-knee Victorian swimsuits!
Annette Kellerman was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1965 and the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1974. In addition to her outstanding legacy and honor, we also remember her birthday! Happy Birthday Annette!
