From the first women to compete in open-water contests to the Olympic superstars of today, Legends of Women's Swimming tells the stories of the women who have thrilled and inspired fans both in and out of the pool.

From the first women who fought to bring gymnastics to the Olympics to the international superstars of today, Legends of Women's Gymnastics tells the stories of the women who have thrilled and inspired fans both in and out of the gym.

From the pioneers of the early days of the sport to the superstars of today, Legends of Women's Tennis tells the stories of the women who have thrilled and inspired fans both on and off the tennis court.

From the pioneers whose hard work and determination led to the first Women’s World Cup to the international superstars of today, Legends of Women's Soccer tells the stories of the women who have thrilled and inspired fans both on and off the soccer field.

From the pioneers of the early days of the sport to the superstars of today, Legends of Women's Basketball tells the stories of the women who have thrilled and inspired fans both on and off the basketball court.

From the groundbreaking women who fought to compete in early track meets to the Olympic superstars of today, Legends of Women's Track and Field tells the stories of the women who have thrilled and inspired fans both on and off the track.

In 1926, Gertrude Ederle became the first female to swim the English Channel--and broke the existing record time in doing so. Although today she is considered a pioneer in women's swimming, women were swimming competitively 50 years earlier. This historical book details the early period of women's competitive swimming in the United States, from its beginnings in the nineteenth century through Ederle's astonishing accomplishment. Women and girls faced many obstacles to safe swimming opportunities, including restrictive beliefs about physical abilities, access to safe and clean water, bathing suits that impeded movement and became heavy in water, and opposition from official sporting organizations. The stories of these early swimmers plainly show how far female athletes have come.