Jennie Maakal was a swimmers from Pretoria who finished third in the women's 400m freestyle at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles - winning South Africa's first Olympic swimming medal. The race was won by American swimming legend Helen Madison with Lenore Kight taking the silver.

Her coach was Jimmy Green of Pretoria. Jenny had the following podium finishes at major championships: 3rd in the 1932 Olympics 400 metres Freestyle; 2nd in the 1934 British Empire Games 4×110 yards Freestyle Relay (with Kathleen Russell and the non-Olympians Enid Hayward and Molly Ryde). In the 1930 British Empire Games she finished fifth in the 400 yards freestyle.

To the victor the spoils, but to Jennie Maakal much of the glory. For in many respects her performances against the greatest woman star the swimming world had then produced, Miss Helen Madison, were among the best of the Team, and perhaps the best of any South African swimmer on record at that time. At any rate she caused South Africa's name to be placed in the first three for the first time in an Olympic swim­ming event.

As in the case of Joubert, she won a great deal of personal acclaim, and kudos for South Africa, measuring up to the best world's standard, which was particularly gratifying in view of the cloud which shrouded the selection of both of them. Neither was chosen without acrimony, and the controversies which sur­rounded their respective selections ended in both of them getting into the Team by private subscription. The prestige they gained for South Africa could only have been exceeded by their actually winning Olympic titles.

<>Miss Maakal did all that her most sanguine admirers in South Africa pleaded that she would do, and a great deal more, actually accomplishing the achievement of bettering an Olympic record without winning an event.

One person alone was responsible for the inclusion of Jennie Maakal in the Team, and that was Jimmy Green, who was then Superintendent of the Pretoria Municipal Swimming Baths, and a famous swimming coach. Jimmy Green was primarily respon­sible for having the finance necessary for Jenny's fare to Los Angeles being raised and he himself must have been well out of pocket by his magnificent gesture. But this South African coach (who, incidentally, is still coaching swimming in Johan­nesburg) , in advocating the claims of Jenny Maakal, maintained she was capable of certain times and stressed that she had a chance, but his claim was ridiculed in many quarters.

However, Jennie Maakal proved Jimmy Green more than correct, because not only did she improve on her South African times, but on two occasions she beat the world's record, and she was the first South African swimmer to have the South African flag raised in its honour at an Olympiad. It was a personal triumph for her, a personal triumph for Jimmy Green, her coach, and an invita­tion to those who opposed her selection to "eat their words".

It’s probably South Africa’s best-kept sporting secret, but our boxers have brought home the most Olympic medals; 18 in all, of which six were gold. In Antwerp in 1920, Clarence Walker won the country’s first gold medal in the bantamweight division. Four years later in Paris, Willie Smith took gold in the same division.

Lightweight Laurie Stevens and light heavyweight Dave Carstens took gold in 1932, and it was on the way back from Los Angeles to Cape Town that they demonstrated the ultimate Olympic spirit towards team-mate, bronze medallist Jenny Maakal.

Lappe: “Her team mates could see she was not happy and they said, ‘What’s wrong with you, I mean you did wonderfully well, what’s wrong?’ and she said, ‘Look, I don’t think it was really worth it. My mother had to take a bond and we’re going to lose our house.’ And the two boxers, Dave Carstens and Laurie Stevens, they had both at that stage contracts, - professional contracts - and they could start boxing for money. But they said, ‘We’re not going to do that. We’re going to have tournaments and all of that money will be for you to give to your mother until she’s paid her bond back.’”

Jennie Maakal

deur Christo Maakal  

Hier is iets wat ek ‘n paar jaar gelede oor Jennie Maakal geskryf het.  Sy is 'n tannie van my (my pa se suster) en het behalwe suksesse by die destydse Rykspele, ook in 1932 te Los Angeles 'n bronsmedalje in die 400m vryslag behaal.  Sy het ook in die finaal van die 100m vryslag geswem. 

Ek dink dat sy ook die laaste Suid-Afrikaanse vrou was wat voor WOll aan 'n item in die Olimpiese Spele deelgeneem het.  Die Suid-Afrikaanse Olimpiese Komitee het in 1936 besluit om geen vrouens in die span in te sluit nie!

Dis 'n tema wat ook sake vir Jennie Maakal bemoeilik het... Jennie se ouers (my oupa en ouma aan vaderskant) het vanaf Nederland na die ou Transvaal gekom, soos so baie ander Nederlanders in die tydperk voor en na die 2de Anglo-Boere-oorlog.  'n Nuwe land en 4 kinders het hul eie uitdagings gestel en net nadat my oupa 'n aanstelling by die Normaalkollege gekry het, het hy onverwags gesterf. 

Boonop het die Depressie aangebreek. My weduwee-ouma het 'n onderwyspos by die Oost-Eind Skool in Pretoria gehad, maar vrouens is maar swak betaal.  Om te oorleef en die kinders van die nodige te voorsien, het sy ook smiddae en saans taalonderrig aan die kinders van ambassade-personeel verskaf, waarskynlik in Frans, Nederlands en Duits.

In die 20's en dertiger jare was swem 'n gunsteling tydverdryf onder jong mense in Pretoria, met meisies soos Zus Engelenberg, Freddie van der Goes, Kathleen Russel, Mary Bedford en Rhoda Rennie wat uitgeblink het.  Die laaste 4 van hulle het in 1928 se Olimpiese Spele 'n bronsmedalje in die 4x100m vryslag aflos losgeswem. Daar was in alle geval by baie mense die gevoel dat vrouens nie by die moderne Olimpiese Spele moet deelneem nie.  In 1932 was Jennie Maakal deur die Swemvereniging genomineer om aan die spele deel te neem  -  dink sy was hulle enigste nominasie  -  maar die S A Olimpiese Komitee wou nie vir haar betaal nie.  As sy wou gaan, moes sy self betaal. 

My ouma moes 'n groot verband op hulle huis neem om die nodige fondse hiervoor te kry, wel wetend dat sy eintlik nie genoeg verdien om die terugbetalings te behartig nie. Soos reeds gesê het Jennie toe in twee finales geswem en in een daarvan derde gekom.

Terug in Suid-Afrika het twee ander boksers, Dave Carstens en Laurie Stevens wat beide goue medaljes verwerf het, hulle toetrede tot die professionele bokskryt uitgestel en eers in die Johannesburgse stadsaal 'n vertoning aangebied waarvan die toegangsgeld gebruik is om die verband op die Maakals se huis terug te betaal.  Dit het lank voor my geboorte gebeur, maar ek raak nou nog emosioneel oor hierdie goedhartige daad van ware kameraadskap.

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 Here is something I wrote about Jennie Maakal a few years ago. She is an aunt of mine (my father's sister) and besides successes at the then Reich Games, she also won a bronze medal in the 400m freestyle in Los Angeles in 1932. She also swam in the final of the 100m freestyle. I think that she was also the last South African woman to participate in an event in the Olympics before WWll. The South African Olympic Committee decided in 1936 not to include any women in the team! It's a theme that also complicated matters for Jennie Maakal... Jennie's parents (my paternal grandfather and grandmother) came from the Netherlands to the old Transvaal, like so many other Dutch people in the period before and after the 2nd Anglo-Boer War. A new country and 4 children presented their own challenges and just after my grandfather got an appointment at the Normal Teachers Training College, he died unexpectedly. In addition, the Depression had arrived. My widowed grandmother had a teaching position at the East End School in Pretoria, but women were poorly paid. In order to survive and provide the children with what they needed, she also provided language lessons to the children of embassy staff in the afternoons and evenings, probably in French, Dutch and German. In the 1920s and 30s, swimming was a favorite pastime among young people in Pretoria, with girls like Zus Engelenberg, Freddie van der Goes, Kathleen Russel, Mary Bedford and Rhoda Rennie excelling. The last 4 of them swam a bronze medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 1928 Olympic Games. In any case, there was a feeling among many people that women should not participate in the modern Olympic Games. In 1932, Jennie Maakal was nominated by the SA Amateur Swimming Union to compete in the Games - thought she was their only nomination - but the S A Olympic Committee would not pay for her. If she wanted to go, she had to pay herself. My grandmother had to take out a large mortgage on their house to get the necessary funds for this, knowing that she does not actually earn enough to handle the repayments. As already said, Jennie then swam in two finals and came third in one of them. Back in South Africa, two other Olympic boxers, Dave Carstens and Laurie Stevens, who both won gold medals, postponed their entry into the professional boxing arena and first presented a show in the Johannesburg City Hall, the entry fee of which was used to pay the mortgage on the Maakals pay back their house. This happened long before I was born, but I still get emotional about this kind act of true camaraderie.

From L/R: Kathleen Russell, Zus Engelenberg, coach Rachael Finlayson, Freddie van der Goes, Rhoda Rennie.

In 1928 five South African female swimmers travelled to the Olympic Games in Amsterdam, accompanied by coach Rachael Finlayson. The won a bronze medal for finishing third in the 4x100m freestyle relay. This was the first Olympic swimming medal won by South African swimmers.

All the girls except Mary Bedford, were coached by Jimmy Green of Pretoria. Bedford was coached by Rachael Finlayson. Coach Green's swimmers had won all the women's events at the SA Swimming championships in East London in 1927, with Mary Bedford 2nd in the 50 yards freestyle. 

In Amstersdam Kathleen Russell (15) was the fastest South African swimmer, winning her heat in 1:15,4 and qualifying for the next round. Zus Engelenberg was next fastest, in 1:22,6. Kathleen did not progress after the quarter finals.

Frederica van der Goes made the final of the 400m freestyle, finishing in 5th place.

The Olympic relay race was held before the individual 100m freestyle and the result accurately foreshadowed what was to happen in that event. Only seven countries competed but qualifying heats were still needed to remove one team from the competition. This provided the opportunity for the American team to break the world record which had stood since 1924. Bolstered by the introduction of Eleanor Garatti and Martha Norelius to the team for the final, the USA swam off into the distance and took another large chunk off the world record. The British held off the Dutch for silver with South Africa touching ahead of Germany. 

The South African girls finished third in their semi-final, in 5:17,4. In the final they improved their time by 4 seconds, taking third place in 5:13,4. The Dutch women, who set a time of 5:08, in the semi's, were disqualified in the final for because Truus Baumeister started too early when taking over. The Dutch team was in second place when this happened. 

From L/R: Kathleen Russell, Zus Engelenberg, Freddie van der Goes, Rhoda Rennie, Marie Bedford. Coach Ma Finlayson from Durban, sitting in front.

Kathleen Russell

Kathleen Russell (17 November 1912 – 26 November 1992) was freestyle swimmer from Durban who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics. She was coached by Racheal Finlayson.

At the1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games she was 15 years old, and a member of the South African relay team which won the bronze medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay event. She also competed in the 400 metre freestyle competition, but was eliminated in the semi-finals.

At the 1934 Empire Games she won the silver medal with the South African team in the 4×100 yards freestyle relay contest.

Marie E. Bedford

Mary "Marie" Esther Bedford was born 27 March 1907 and she died in Durban on 8^th September 1997. She was a member of the South African relay team which won the bronze medal in the 4×100m freestyle relay.

She also competed in the 400 metre freestyle competition, but was eliminated in the first round.

Zus Engelenberg 

Zus Engelenberg was the fifth member of the team. Born in Pretoria on 4th January 1909, she died in Durban on 16 May 1984, aged 75.

As the Northern Transvaal province was yet to be established, Zus represented Transvaal at the South African swimming championships. She was also coached by Jimmy Green in Pretoria.

At the 1934 Empire Games, she won the silver medal with the South African team in the 4×100 yards freestyle relay contest.

Frederika "Freddie" Jacoba van der Goes

In 1928 she was a member of the South African relay team which won the bronze medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay event She also competed in the 400 metre freestyle competition and finished fifth.

At the 1934 Empire Games she won the silver medal with the South African team in the 4×100 yards freestyle relay contest.

Rhoda Rennie

Rhoda Lillian Rennie was born in Benoni in 2nd May1909. She died in Johannesburg on 11 March 1963. Her father was Major George Rennie, a Benoni pioneer estate agent and mayor,  and her mother Nellie Johanna (born Vermaak). She showed a talent for swimming at an early age, and represented Transvaal.

She competed in the 100 metre freestyle competition and in the 400 metre freestyle event, but was in both eliminated in the first round. She was a member of the South African relay team which won the bronze medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay event.

After the 1928 Olympic Games, Rhoda married Percy Arthur Wrightson. Later in life Rhoda ran a swimming school in Johannesburg.  Rennie committed suicide by shooting herself at age 52, in Johannesburg on March 11th 1963.

The swimming pool at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games, and the start of a women's race. Constructed as the centerpiece of the 1928 Amsterdam Games, Olympisch Stadion was the gold-medal-winning work of Dutch architect Jan Wils (1891–1972), a founding member of the De Stijl movement and greatly influenced by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. Wils accented the low-slung, redbrick structure with a slender tower that was topped with the first-ever cauldron designed to cradle the Olympic flame.

The swimming basin was made of reinforced concrete that was 50m long by 18 m wide with the deepest part near the diving area at 5 m. Stands were erected at both sides with one of them at most accommodating 6000 spectators. There were 20 men's and 16 women's dressing rooms.

A temporary structure, it was demolished following the Olympics in 1929, much to the frustration of the local swimmimers.

20th September 1928 - New Zealand and South African swimming team members at the Scarbrook indoor at Croydon. 

Back left: Cathleen Miller (NZ), M. Clark (SA?), coach Rachael Finlayson (SA), Zus Engelenberg (SA), Ann Stockley (NZ).

Seated: Rhoda Rennie, Frederercia van der Goes, Mary Bedford - all of SA.

Front: Kathleen Russell (SA) - winner of the race, age 15.

World beaters during the boycott era

Despite 30 years of the international sports boycott, South African swimmers continued to set new world records.

Karen Muir

Karen was born on 16 September 1952 in Kimberley, where she began swimming with coach Frank Gray at age 9. Three years later, on 10 August 1965 - aged 12, she became the youngest person ever to set a world record in swimming. She set a further 17 world records, before retiring in 1970.

Ann Fairlie

Ann was a contemporary and probably a role model of the legendary Karen Muir, although three years older. In 1963 Ann Fairlie became the youngest swimmer to win Springbok colours at age 13, and in 1966 she set three world records in the 100/110 backstroke. Karen Muir eclipsed her in all of these achievements, but together they dominated international women's backstroke for 5 years - without ever competing at the Olympic Games.

Jonty Skinner

In 1976 Jonty set a world record for the 100m freestyle. His time of 49,44 beat US swimmer Jim Montgomery's Olympic gold medal winning swim at the 1976 Games of 49,99 - just six weeks after the Olympics. His record stood for 5 years.

Peter Williams

Pete set a new world record in the 50m freestyle during a time trial. Somehow FINA recognised the time - but not the record, for reasons never explained by them.

Clarendon High School for Girls pupil in East London Joan Harrison was just 16 years old when she won a gold medal in the 100m backstroke at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki. It would be another 44 years before another South African woman won a gold medal in the pool - Penny Heyns at Atlanta in 1996.

Joan had the following podium finishes at major championships: 1st in the 1952 Olympics 100 metres Backstroke; 1st in the 1950 British Empire Games 440 yards Freestyle, 1st in the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games 110 yards Backstroke, 1st in the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games 4×110 yards Freestyle (with Natalie Myburgh and the non-Olympians Felicity Loveday and Machduldt Petzer), 2nd in the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games 3×110 yards Medley (with the non-Olympians Maggie Petzer and Mary Morgan), 3rd in the 1950 British Empire Games 110 yards Freestyle, 3rd in the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games 110 yards Freestyle.

Please click here to see Joan's race in 1952.

Medallists for the Olympic women's 100m backstroke Joan Harrison, with Geertje Wielema (Neth) and Jean Stewart (NZ) at Helsinki in 1952.

Her victory in the 100-metre backstroke at Helsinki was a surprise to the whole swimming world, but not to her Manager, Alex Bulley. This excellent Swimming Manager was determined Joan could win this backstroke event and trained her according­ly in Helsinki. Although he had nothing to do with her coaching prior to Joan leaving for Finland, he took great pains to see that she trained assiduously whilst she was there. When the final race was on Alex Bulley was standing on one of the spectators' stands, and when Joan took the lead after the first turn Bulley, in his excitement, fell down the stand and "passed out". When the race was over and he found out that Joan had won the world title, he passed out again.

The swimming of our Springboks at these Games equalled any performance recorded by South African swimmers overseas and was due, to a great extent, to the training these young South Africans underwent prior to leaving the Union for the Games and also during their stay in Helsinki. At the 1954 Games in Vancouver, she won gold in 110yds in the backstroke; 4x110yds freestyle relay, silver in the 3x110yds medley relay, bronze in the 110yds freestyle.

Coach Bunny Clark with the Harrison family

For these achievements she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1982.

Born in 1935 of a swimming mother and a rugby-playing father in East London, South Africa, Joan Harrison wasted little time taking advantage of her sporting heritage. At 13, she already held three Jr. and two Sr. national records, and that year won the 220 and 500 yd. Senior Freestyle National Championships.

In 1950, at age 14, she won the 440 yd. freestyle at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, beating the old record by 13 seconds and finishing 7 seconds ahead of the field. It was her first international competition and she was declared the outstanding woman swimmer in the Games.

Her second International Games was the Helsinki Olympics in 1952, where she won South Africa's first and only Olympic gold medal for swimming. In 1954, at the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, she won two gold medals, a silver, and a bronze before retiring at the ripe old age of 17.

She won the Helms Foundation Award for the best African athletic performance in any sport in 1952, and while concentrating on field hockey after 1954, she did manage to come back two more years to win the Nationals in her favourite 100-meter backstroke and in the 300 I. M. in 1956.

She was South Africa's supreme swimmer in freestyle, backstroke and I.M. for six years.

Olympic gold medallist Joan Breetzke, (nee Harrison) displays the gold medal she won at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952. The picture depicts her amazing welcome from thousands of East Londoners upon her return from Europe.

Sixty years ago East London swimmer Joan (Harrison) Breetzke, swam to a gold medal in the backstroke at the Helsinki Olympics. Speaking to the Daily Dispatch from her Selborne home Breetzke reminisced about the day her name went down in the history books. “I remember I had a busy week. Even on the day, there was a dilemma about doing the race because I did 400m freestyle in the morning. So I rested at lunchtime and did the 100m at 5 pm,” Breetzke said.

She said she went to the Olympics prepared to do her best, but never expected to win. Her Olympic winning time was 1:14.3 for the 100m backstroke. “I did not put too much pressure on myself. I was not the favourite, the girl from Holland [Geertje Wielema] was. Team South Africa was made up of more than 80 people and I was the only female swimmer.” The soft-spoken woman said she did not particularly enjoy the attention she was receiving, but she was grateful for all the support. “People made a fuss about it. But my life did not really change. I was still an ordinary girl from East London. When we arrived back in the city there were thousands of people waiting for me at the city hall.

I even drove down Oxford Street in an open-top car,” she said, adding that she lived life as normally as possible after that.

Oos Londen heldin onthou goud van 1952

Vier-en-veertig jaar gelede het tienduisende mense in die strate van Oos-Londen saamgedrom om een van Suid-Afrika se laaste Olimpiese gouemedalje-wenners 'n oorweldigende verwelkoming te gee. Gister het Joan Harrison Breetzke, wenner van die 100m-rugslag in 1952 in Helsinki, 'n telegram van gelukwense aan Penny Heyns, Suid-Afrika se eerste gouemedalje-wenner sedert Harrison Breetzke en Esther Brand dit laas verower het, in Atlanta gestuur.

``Baie geluk met jou wêreldrekord Welkom tot Goud Joan Harrison Breetzke (100m-rugslag in Helsinki 1952),'' het die boodskap gelui. Harrison Breetzke het gister aan Die Burger gesê: ``Ek is baie bly vir Penny se onthalwe dat sy 'n goue medalje verower het. Dit is 'n groot oomblik vir Suid-Afrika en ek weet baie goed hoe trots en emosioneel sy op die wenners- podium moes gevoel het. Ek onthou goed hoe emosioneel ek as 'n 16-jarige gevoel het.'' Sy sê sy onthou die oorweldigende blydskap van haar Suid-Afrikaanse spanmaats die meeste nadat sy die medalje verower het. ``Hulle het op my afgestorm, omhels en aanhoudend gelukgewens.''

Oorwinning 'nie maklik' Haar oorwinning was nie maklik nie. Die Saterdag vóór haar sege het sy meegeding in die 100 m-vryslag. Oor die eerste plek was daar geen twyfel nie, maar drie swemmers het omtrent gelyk klaargemaak in die tweede plek. Harrison Breetzke was een van hulle, maar die beoordelaars het haar vierde geplaas. Haar afrigter, Alex Bulley, oortuig daarvan dat sy van 'n tweede plek beroof is, het haar gemotiveer en meer vasberade gemaak vir die 100m-rugslag die volgende Donderdag.

Sy was nie die gunsteling nie, maar het van nêrens gekom en die Nederlander Geertje Wielema en die Nieu- Seelander Jean Stewart uitgestof om met die goue medalje weg te stap. Met haar terugkeer na Oos-Londen is sy soos 'n heldin terugverwelkom. Sy het in 'n afslaankap-motor deur die strate gery terwyl derduisende mense langs die strate gestaan het. Harrison Breetzke het in die somer en winter in die Quanza, 'n seewater swembad by Orient Strand in Oos- Londen, geoefen.

Wanneer sy in die winter saans by die huis gekom het, het haar ma haar in warm komberse toegedraai voordat sy in 'n warm bad gestop is. Die koue het in 1954 tot haar ont trekking uit die Statebond Spele gelei toe sy nie meer die koue water van die seeswembad kon hanteer nie. Harrison Breetzke is die ma van drie uitblinker seuns. Jon is 'n Springbok waterpolospe ler, Derek 'n junior Springbok in lewensredding en Brian het Suid-Afrikaanse kleure verwerf in lewensredding en 'n goue medalje verower op die onlangse lewensredding-wêreldkampioenskapsbyeenkoms.

Joan Harrison, who won the back stroke swimming title in 1950 in New Zealand, when still a schoolgirl, did her training in her home town when her scholastic duties permitted her to do so. Her victory in the 100-metres backstroke at Helsinki was a surprise to the whole swimming world, but not to her Manager, Alex Bulley. This excellent Swimming Manager was determined Joan could win this backstroke event and trained her according­ly in Helsinki. Although he had nothing to do with her coaching prior to Joan leaving for Finland, he took great pains to see that she trained assiduously whilst she was there. When the final race was on Alex Bulley was standing on one of the spectators' stands, and when Joan took the lead after the first turn Bulley, in his excitement, fell down the stand and "passed out". When the race was over and he found out that Joan had won the world title, he passed out again.

The swimming of our Springboks at these Games equalled any performance recorded by South African swimmers overseas, and was due, to a great extent, to the training these young South Africans underwent prior to leaving the Union for the Games and also during their stay in Helsinki.

Joan congratulates Maggie Petzer for beating her at nationals in 1954 -  with Felicity Loveday

Coach C.H. "Bunny" Clark poke about his 5 rules and the 10 commandments of good sportsmanship at a Coaching Clinic in 1949.

-You shall not Quit
-You shall not Alibi
-You shall not Gloat over winning
-You shall not Gripe over losing
-You shall not take unfair advantage
-You shall not ask odds that you are not willing to give
-You shall never be willing to concede your opponent the edge
-You shall not underestimate your opponent or overestimate yourself
-Remember, the Game is the thing and he who thinks otherwise is no true sportsman
-Honour the Game you play, for if you play the Game straight and hard, you Win, even when you Lose

Joan Harrison (RSA)

Honor Swimmer (1982)

The information on this page was written the year of their induction.

FOR THE RECORD:  OLYMPIC GAMES: 1952 gold (100m backstroke); COMMONWEALTH GAMES: 1950 gold (400m freestyle), bronze (100m freestyle); 1954 gold (100m backstroke; relay), silver (relay), bronze (100m freestyle).

Born in 1935 of a swimming mother and a rugby-playing father in East London, South Africa, Joan Harrison wasted little time taking advantage of her sporting heritage.  At 13, she already held three Jr. and two Sr. national records, and that year won the 220 and 500 yd. Senior Freestyle National Championships.  In 1950, at age 14, she won the 440 yd. freestyle at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, beating the old record by 13 seconds and finishing 7 seconds ahead of the field.  It was her first international competition and she was declared the outstanding woman swimmer in the Games.  Her second International Games was the Helsinki Olympics in 1952, where she won South Africa’s first and only Olympic gold medal for swimming.  In 1954, at the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, she won two gold medals, a silver, and a bronze before retiring at the ripe old age of 17.  She won the Helms Foundation Award for the best African athletic performance in any sport in 1952, and while concentrating on field hockey after 1954, she did manage to come back two more years to win the Nationals in her favorite 100 meter backstroke and in the 300 I. M. in 1956.  She was South Africa’s supreme swimmer in freestyle, backstroke and I.M. for six years.

Canadian swimmer Lenora Fisher, South African swimmer Joan Harrison, Canadian swimmer Gladys Priestley, and Canadian swimmer Kay McNamee, take a break during a training session at the Helsinki Swimming Stadium, during the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, 18th July 1952. (Photo by Popperfoto/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)