Ethelda Bleibtrey
Encyclopedia
Ethelda Bleibtrey (February 27, 1902 – May 6, 1978) was a swimmer from the United States
notable for winning three gold medals at the 1920 Summer Olympics
in Antwerp.
Bleibtrey started swimming to help recover from polio
, which she caught in 1917. In 1919, she was arrested for "nude swimming" — she removed her stockings at a pool where it was forbidden to bare "the lower female extremities for public bathing."
She was born in Waterford, New York, and died in West Palm Beach, Florida
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
notable for winning three gold medals at the 1920 Summer Olympics
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
in Antwerp.
Bleibtrey started swimming to help recover from polio
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
, which she caught in 1917. In 1919, she was arrested for "nude swimming" — she removed her stockings at a pool where it was forbidden to bare "the lower female extremities for public bathing."
She was born in Waterford, New York, and died in West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
.