Annette Kellerman: Swimming Wonder

After a diagnosis of rickets as a young girl Annette took up swimming, and her extraordinary courage and determination made her an Australian champion, beating boys, breaking records, and astonishing huge crowds by diving from great heights.

At eighteen, Annette wanted to swim the English Channel and challenge endurance records. But it was her wearing of a one-piece swimming costume that changed fashion forever and encouraged many women and girls into the water, allowing them to swim freely.

Thrilling audiences around the world with her breathtaking acts, Hollywood swiftly embraced her and she became a famous moviestar.

Annette's appetite for excitement and thrills was legendary - once flinging herself into a pool of live crocodiles for one film and jumping from the wings of a biplane for another.

But despite her place in the world as a celebrity, it was Annette's belief that women and girls could be strong, independent, and healthy that changed the lives of millions.