A Tribute to Women---And a Woman Who Swims

Some days my chest bursts with pride when encountering information like this. I'll explain why at the end of this post.
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"Young Woman and the Sea", by Glenn Stout
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 336 pages; $25
. from the Book Review by Amy Wu, special to the SF Chronicle Aug 21, 2009
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In the world of sports literature, swimming books are few and far between. There are autobiographies of Olympians and workout manuals by top coaches, but not many books satisfy the appetite of swimming aficionados who seek a good read about the sport's evolution.
.- - -Glenn Stout's "Young Woman and the Sea: How Trudy Ederle Conquered the English Channel and Inspired the World" is a welcome exception.
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The book not only examines the history of swimming and the challenges of making it across the channel but also offers insights into the women's movement. . .
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But the star of Stout's account is Gertrude "Trudy" Ederle, who in 1926 became the first woman to swim the English Channel--to this day considered the Mount Everest of the sport. Cold waters and rough currents make the 21 miles between Dover, England, and Cape Gris-Nez, France, notoriously challenging.
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Long after she made history, Ederle remains an inspiration and heroine in the swimming community. " -by Amy Wu
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Jim said: Some days, my mind wanders back to the time that you told me of what you had done. I can imagine you in the dark waters of the Atlantic, wearing your swimming cap and determined in your strokes against the cold waves--your destination not yet in sight and not to be seen until much later when dawn arrived. Even now I tremble to think of your daring and courage as a woman and as a leader of women. So it seems doubly ironic to sit in front of you at lunch and appreciate your total grace and modesty when I questioned you about how you made the cover of a magazine. You promised to send me a copy and I still have it. I peppered you with more questions when you patiently explained to me that you and some women friends had swum the English Channel successfully. You told me of the party you and the women had at the tavern on the far shore, sharing glass-lifting toasts. So it seems fitting that, as I see your ghostly image at the right side of this page, that you almost appear to be wearing your swimming cap right now. Your feat continues to inspire me and everyone who knows you. A new American Women's Relay-Team Swimming Record! The heart swells.