[3] Mercedes Gleitze was born to Heinrich and Anna (née Kurr) in 1900 in the English south-coastal town of Brighton.

She and her two elder sisters came from German heritage and Mercedes spent time with her grandparents in Herzogenaurach in Bavaria and two years studying at the Maria Stern Convent School in Nördlingen.

[citation needed] With her bilingual background and education, Gleitze became a secretary and stenographer in central London exploiting her talent for languages.

[4] The record was in doubt when in the following days another woman, Dr. Dorothy Cochrane Logan (using her professional name, Mona McLennan), claimed to have swum the channel faster.

Gleitze continued to break records and she became the first known person to swim the Straits of Gibraltar between Europe and Africa on 6 April 1928.

Gleitze married engineer Patrick Carey in Dover in 1930 with the American swimming twins Bernice and Phyllis Zittenfeld as bridesmaids.

Consumers were asked to toast her with Paddy Whiskey when they were not drinking Lipton's Tea, which had reputedly helped her "beat the channel".

Gleitze also recommended Be-ze-be honey and bathing caps as well as her enduring role as a brand ambassador for Rolex watches.

The newspaper that most adopted a tabloid approach to her was the Daily Mirror that hinted that Gleitze was using her charity's funds inappropriately.

Millie Hudson, who went with her to Gibraltar, was said to be a rival, and Gleitze was said to have annoyed Lottie Shoemmell, who was an American swimmer, by refusing to race her across the Channel.

[10] After her retirement from swimming, Gleitze became a housewife, had three children, and became increasingly reclusive, lying about her past to her neighbours and not discussing her achievements with her family.

[13] In 2023, her name and a picture of her emerging from water clutching a bag and goggles were featured in advertisements for Rolex alongside those of Lara Gut-Behrami, Iga Swiatek, Sonya Yoncheva, Grace Kelly, Sylvia Earle, Lexi Thompson, Khoudia Toure and Yuja Wang.