At the age of 6, a weakness in her legs turns her in swimming, at the age of 13 her legs will be fine and two years later she will win her first swimming competition, while doing diving demonstrations. In 1905 she holds all the world swimming records. In 1907, she was arrested on a Boston beach for wearing a full-length bathing suit, a particularly daring act for the time. The judge will accept her claims that the swimsuit used by women at the time, an unwieldy dress, made swimming virtually impossible and will acquit her. The publicity the issue got would change the law regarding women's swimwear forever.

She later founded a fashion house that designed women's one-piece swimwear. In 1916 she starred in the film "A Daughter of the Gods" where she appeared naked with only her hair covering the controversial parts of her body. She was the author of exercise books, children's stories and her autobiography. Annette Marie Kellermann contribution was huge in making women's swimming popular and socially acceptable.