SUPER MONDAY

A motivational and informational morning message from Superintendent Willis

Week 7 ~ September 23rd, 2024

Super Monday Message

Trudy Ederle's swim across the English Channel in 1926 was a historic achievement that redefined what was possible for women in sports. At that time, the Channel was considered one of the most challenging open-water swims in the world due to its unpredictable weather, cold water temperatures, and strong tides. Only five men were believed to have successfully completed the swim at that time, and the prevailing belief was that women lacked the physical endurance to do so.

Born in 1905 in New York City, Ederle became a talented swimmer at a young age. She set nearly every swimming record that existed for women at the time. She won a gold medal as part of the U.S. women’s 4x100-meter freestyle relay team at the 1924 Paris Olympics. Despite the fame she won in races, she longed to do something bigger that would redefine what female athletes can do. She had heard of the many attempts of men to swim the English Channel, but she was bothered by the common belief that a woman couldn’t do it.

Ederle first attempted the swim in 1925 but was forced to stop when her coach, concerned for her safety, pulled her from the water. She went home disappointed and frustrated, but trained rigorously for another year. She returned in August 1926 for a second attempt. On the morning of August 6, 1926, she entered the water at Cape Gris-Nez in France, coated in grease to protect against the cold. The conditions that day were not the most favorable for the swim, there were rough waves and strong currents. 

Swimming through grueling conditions for 14 hours and 34 minutes, Ederle reached the shores of Kingsdown, England. Some reporters described her as looking like a boxer after a fight of many rounds. The constant pounding of the waves had bruised her face, she had marks from jellyfish stings, and the sea water had made her tongue swell. She could hardly stand or speak. Not only did she become the first woman to swim the Channel, but she also broke the men’s record by a significant margin. Her impressive time was attributed to her strong will and determination.

Ederle's achievement was celebrated everywhere. More than two million people attended her New York parade. For a time she was a symbol of women’s athletic potential. Her success challenged gender stereotypes and opened the door for future generations of female athletes. We are still just scratching the surface of human potential. Have a great week 7.

Notes: Ederle’s feat is reenacted in the new Disney film Young Woman and the Sea. You might wonder what parts of the movie are fact and what is fiction. You’ll find that this movie follows the true story more closely than most movies of its kind. Trudy did learn to swim with a rope tied around her waist, Trudy did suspect her coach of foul play in her first attempt to swim the channel, and Trudy did indeed invent her own two piece swimsuit for the second attempt. However, Trudy did not make a three hour swim to a New Jersey restaurant in order to get her sponsorship and Trudy didn’t make the second attempt just a few weeks after the first.

Super High Fives

Just a couple of the awesome recent accomplishments that need a big thank you. 

• A super high five to the student body officers, faculty, and staff at the high school for organizing a fun fall spirit week. The teams did well and the activities were fun.
• A super high five to Tushar Contractors for their work on the Piute High School remodel project. We started moving furniture into the new space on Friday. Just a few small finishing touches remain. We’ll have a community open house to tour the remodeled space during the Meet the T-Birds Night in November.

Other Super Information

• A public hearing for the new elementary schools bond election will be held at Piute High School at 6:00 PM on Wednesday October 2nd, 2024. All residents are welcome to attend and participate.
• Voter Information Pamphlet
• Fall Sports Calendar 2024
• 2024-2025 School District Calendar
• Truth-In-Taxation Hearing Presentation
• Latest Elementary Schools Design Draft
• New Elementary Schools Information

Super Weekly Schedule