Annette Kellerman

Annette Kellerman, circa 1907

"I have been asked ten thousand times why I like to swim and I have given a different answer every time. You see the water always teaches me a new story. It is three times as large as the land and too big to be disturbed. Therefore it has not been crossed out by man and goes on and on, the most elemental thing in all the world. And why do I believe in swimming? To put it briefly, swimming is a pleasure and a benefit, a clean, cool, beautiful cheap thing we all from cats to kings can enjoy." - Annette Kellerman

Annette Kellerman was born into a music-rich family on July 6, 1886, in Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia. Her father was a violinist, and her mother was a French pianist and music teacher.

But while music was an important part of her family life, a bout with an illness in her early years sent Annette into a sports path. When she was just six years old, she developed weakness in her legs. The cause of her ailment wasn't clear, but treatment required wearing steel braces, which were not only painful but left her feeling humiliated. To help with recovery, her parents enrolled Annette in swim classes upon the advice of a doctor. Annette didn't want to swim, fearing in part embarrassment about her legs. But the doctor felt confident that swimming would help, so her father proceeded with the plan.

Annette would look back on her father's decision with gratitude, appreciating his wisdom as the plan worked. By the age of 13, Annette's legs had practically normalized, and by 15, she won her first race and began making a name for herself in swimming. As she would say, "Determined to make my mark in something...I took up swimming with an earnestness that was bound to succeed." And succeed, she would. Soon, Annette was setting world records.