Pioneering female swimmer to be internationally honored

LAKE GEORGE | Diane Struble lived a life of legacy. She was a trailblazing swimmer in the late 1950s, after completing two first-ever swims of 32.7 km across Lake Champlain and the 51.8 km length of Lake George. Struble was the eighth swimmer to circle Manhattan Island – 30 years after the seventh swimmer — and completed a 20-mile Boston Harbor swim. A single mother of three young children, she received considerable media attention. An estimated 10,000 people (including spectators in 200 boats) witnessed her Lake George swim, for which she received $25,000 (in 2022 value). She appeared on USA popular television shows: "The Today Show," "I've Got a Secret," "To Tell the Truth," and "What's My Line," and became an inspiration to a generation of women and aspiring athletes. Struble swam around Manhattan using the breaststroke and without a cap, adding to her spectator appeal. And soon, Struble and her feats will be honored by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony in New York City May 6. Locally, on the 65th Anniversary of Struble's pioneering swim of Lake George, Wiawaka Center for Women will hold an annual week-long event to honor Lake George swimmers from Aug. 21-25. The theme, "Strong Women Inspire Me" (S.W.I.M.), is a logo designed with financial support from the Lake George Historical Association (LGHA), to honor Diane Struble's legacy of inspiring others to follow their dreams. For more information and the calendar of events for S.W.I.M. week, go to www.wiawaka.org. For more information about Diane Struble's life and accomplishments, visit The Lake George Historical Association's newly curated 'Called by the Water' Room. See also a book written by Diane's daughter Gwenne Rippon: "Called by the Water – When Diane Struble Swam Lake George," published by the LGHA with a grant from the Touba Family Foundation. Struble grew up in Scotia and spent summers in the Adirondacks, calling Lake George home later in life as she traveled the country and made history with each milestone.

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Pioneering female swimmer to be internationally honored

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