Today Annette Kellerman gets only a brief mention in write-ups of 20th century swimming, but in her day she was a worldwide sensation as an athlete, performer and spokesperson for women’s fitness. She deserves a larger place in our history books for the many “firsts” she earned during her remarkable life.

Because of childhood illness, young Annette wore iron braces on her legs. When she was seven a doctor suggested she remove her braces and take up swimming. At age 15 Annette set a world record in the mile. In 1904 she drew crowds when she swam across London’s Thames River—a feat no one, man or woman, had ever accomplished. She was one of the first women to attempt to swim across the English Channel; she tried three times but didn’t finish. Still, she continued to outrace male swimmers in exhibitions throughout Europe.

In major U.S. cities she performed a “water ballet” act in a glass tank, and became the best-paid vaudeville star in the country. Kellerman is now credited with using moves that introduced the sport of synchronized swimming. In Boston she was arrested for “indecent exposure” when she wore a tight-fitting, one-piece swimsuit on the beach—a departure from accepted ladies’ swimwear: a cumbersome ensemble including a dress, bloomers and tights.

Her fame led to a career in the movies, notably as the star of A Daughter of the Gods (1916), the first million-dollar production. The film is also notable for Kellerman’s nude scenes, marking her as the first star to appear nude in a high-budget movie.

She became an advocate for health and exercise, particularly for women, and she wrote the first-ever diet and fitness book, Physical Beauty: How to Keep It. She designed and marketed a popular swimsuit known as the “Annette Kellerman,” now seen as the first modern swimsuit for women.

Kellerman and her husband retired in her native Australia, where she kept fit by swimming daily. In November 1975, she died at age 89, and her ashes were scattered over the Great Barrier Reef, in keeping with her wish to be reunited with the sea.