was i had really bad cramp. during the winter, when it was very, very cold, sometimes if i lost my nerve, i would have to say, what would mercedes do? what would mercedes do? because she always stayed calm. itjust made me appreciate mercedes more for what she did and how brave she was to do it, and do it alone. and if you ve never heard of mercedes, you re in good company. even her own family had only a sketchy idea of her achievements, until they found her archive after she died. i knew my grandmother well. i spent a lot of time with her. but she never spoke to me about swimming. you knew nothing about the swimming? nothing. she never spoke to me about swimming at all. in fact, she lied about the fact that she was a swimmer to the neighbours that she lived with. you know, she was challenged you know, you re mercedes gleitze, aren t you? she would deny who she was?
some people would say, made it a little bit more comfortable, shall we say, than it was in the 20s and 30s. , , , 30s. definitely. even the elements like nutrition 30s. definitely. even the elements like nutrition and 30s. definitely. even the elements like nutrition and training - 30s. definitely. even the elements like nutrition and training for- 30s. definitely. even the elements like nutrition and training for the i like nutrition and training for the swimmers, mercedes used to eat duck legs while swimming at now you have all these energy bars and things like that. down to the things that they wore, she had a woollen bathing suit with a pair of motorcycle goggles and a baby cap on which she wore an original 1930s swimming costume for the film, and we try to be very accurate in how we represented the types of things they wore back in that era. iloathed represented the types of things they wore back in that era. wore back in that era. what is the film trying wore back in that
very normal person, she is a working class woman who was a typist before she went into this world of swimming, so that s kind of what the film is showing, this ordinary woman who goes out there and does the extraordinary, really. taste who goes out there and does the extraordinary, really. extraordinary, really. we were seeinu extraordinary, really. we were seeing the extraordinary, really. we were seeing the start extraordinary, really. we were seeing the start of extraordinary, really. we were seeing the start of the - extraordinary, really. we were seeing the start of the film - extraordinary, really. we were - seeing the start of the film talking about method acting in its extreme, really, actually learning to swim, and quite a gruelling process to swim for the movie. mr; and quite a gruelling process to swim for the movie. and quite a gruelling process to swim for the movie. my hat goes off to kirsten callaghan swim for the movie. my hat goes off to kirsten callaghan who
glorious sunshine. a little bit chilly. david sillito, bbc news, brighton. at some off to david for taking the plunge there! let s talk more about this interesting film made by the hove based director elliott hasler, which tells the story of mercedes s extraordinary interesting that she was, in her time, a household name but now really sort of almost disappeared from the history books, but an extraordinary woman. she from the history books, but an extraordinary woman.- from the history books, but an extraordinary woman. she is totally extraordinary extraordinary woman. she is totally extraordinary and extraordinary woman. she is totally extraordinary and an extraordinary woman. she is totally extraordinary and an extra - extraordinary woman. she is totally extraordinary and an extra ordinary| extraordinary and an extra ordinary story and i hadn t heard of it and i was shocked that it has been forgotten, as she was such a trailblazer. hopefully the film and
the blue plaque being unveiled today will start this journey of reinvigorating her kind of legacy. tell us more about the film because it is called vindication swim, what s behind that? at the time there were some doubts about her achievements. there were some doubts about her achievements. there was a massive controversy achievements. there was a massive controversy at achievements. there was a massive controversy at the achievements. there was a massive controversy at the time achievements. there was a massive controversy at the time as - achievements. there was a massive controversy at the time as to - controversy at the time as to whether she had actually swum the english channel. there was this big hoax claim inspired by another swimmer that came along shortly after mercedes had swum it and it launched this whole hoax of the century, it was called, and it was a massive phenomenon at the time, so the film focuses on that and mercedes s 1927 the film focuses on that and mer