Editing Johnny Weissmuller (section)

==Early life==
Johann Peter Weißmüller was born on June 2, 1904, in [[Freidorf|Szabadfalva]], in the [[Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen|Kingdom of Hungary]], [[Austria-Hungary]] (now part of [[Romania]], and called Freidorf) into an ethnically [[Banat Swabians|Banat Swabian]] family. He was the sixth generation Weißmüller born in Hungary.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.geni.com/people/Johann-Weissmuller/6000000024932434830 | title=Johann Weissmuller | date=August 31, 1749 }}</ref> An ancestor had immigrated from [[Baden]], [[Holy Roman Empire]] {{Circa|1749}}.<ref name="Banat">{{cite web |url=https://www.dw.com/en/romanias-ethnic-germans-get-their-day-in-the-spotlight/a-18072299|title=Romania's ethnic Germans get their day in the spotlight|date=18 November 2014|work=[[Deutsche Welle]]|accessdate=7 March 2022}}</ref><ref name="Swabian">{{cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/when-tarzan-struck-gold-at-the-games-the-legend-of-johnny-weissmuller|title=When Tarzan struck gold at the Games: the legend of Johnny Weissmuller|date=19 July 2019 |work=Olympics.com|accessdate=28 November 2023}}</ref> Three days later he was baptized into the [[Catholic]] faith by the Hungarian version of his German name, as János. Early the next year, January 26, 1905, his father, Peter Weißmüller, and mother, Elisabeth Weißmüller (née Kersch), took him on a twelve-day trip on the ''[[SS Dwinsk|S.S. Rotterdam]]'' to [[Ellis Island]].  Soon they arrived in [[Windber, Pennsylvania]], to live with family. Johnny's brother Peter was born the following September.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Biography - The Official Licensing Website of Johnny Weissmuller|url=https://www.johnnyweissmuller.com/biography/|access-date=March 11, 2021|website=Johnny Weissmuller|language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:Freidorf Wohnhaus Weissmueller.jpg|thumb|center|upright 0.85|Weißmüller homestead, [[Freidorf]]]]
Three years later they relocated to Chicago to be with his mother's parents. His parents rented a single level in a shared house where he lived during his childhood. At age nine, Weissmüller contracted [[List of polio survivors|polio]]. His doctor recommended swimming to help his recovery from the disease.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2008/08/17/from-the-pool-to-hollywood-stardom/
|title=From the pool to Hollywood stardom
|last=Rasmussen
|first=Frederick N.
|date=17 August 2008
|publisher=baltimoresun.com
|access-date=15 September 2012
|archive-date=13 June 2010
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613130029/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2008-08-17/news/0808160072_1_johnny-weissmuller
|url-status=live
}}</ref>  Fullerton Beach on [[Lake Michigan]] is where Johnny's love for swimming took off, having his first swimming lessons there. He excelled immediately and began entering and winning every race he could. Johnny's father deserted the family when Johnny was in the eighth grade. He left school to begin working in order to support his mother and younger brother.<ref name=":0" />

When Weissmuller was 11 he lied to join the [[YMCA]], which had a 12 year old minimum rule to join. He won every swimming race he entered and also excelled at running and high jumping. Before long he was on one of the best swim teams in the country, the Illinois Athletic Club.<ref name=":0" />