Gillian Sheen facts for kids
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| Born | 21 August 1928 Willesden, London, England |
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| Died | 5 July 2021 (aged 92) Auburn, New York, US |
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| Sport | Fencing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Gillian Mary Donaldson (born Sheen; August 21, 1928 – July 5, 2021) was a British fencer. She was an Olympic champion in foil competition. Foil is a type of sword used in fencing.
Gillian won a gold medal in the women's individual foil event at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. She also competed in the Olympics in 1952 and 1960. She was a very talented athlete.
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Fencing Career
Gillian Sheen started fencing while she was a student at North Forland School in Kent, England. She won the schoolgirls' fencing title in 1945. In 1947, she won the Junior Championships.
After school, she went to University College Hospital in London. There, she studied to become a dental surgeon. In 1949, she won her first senior national fencing title. She also won the British Universities title for five years in a row. In 1951, she earned a gold medal at the World Universities Championships.
Olympic Games
Gillian competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics, but she was eliminated in an early round. She returned to the Olympics in 1956 and won the gold medal for Great Britain. She used a classic fencing technique. This was at a time when the sport was changing to a more athletic style.
World and Commonwealth Games
Gillian also competed at the 1950 World Fencing Championships in Monte Carlo. There, she won a bronze medal with the British team in Team Foil.
She represented England at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada. She won a silver medal in the individual foil event. Four years later, she won the gold medal in the same event at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales.
Gillian continued to compete until 1963. She won her tenth and final British Championship in 1960.
Personal Life
Gillian Sheen was born in Willesden, London, on August 21, 1928. In 1962, she married Bob Donaldson. He was an American orthodontist, which is a type of dentist who straightens teeth.
After getting married, she moved to New York City in the United States. She and her husband opened a dental and orthodontic practice together. In 2019, Gillian was given an award called Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This award was for her great contributions to UK sport.
Death
Gillian Sheen died in Auburn, New York, on July 5, 2021. She was 92 years old. She had four children. Her memorial service was held at the Episcopal Church of Saints Peter and John.
Books
- Sheen, Gillian (1958). Instructions to Young Fencers. Museum Press. .
See also
In Spanish: Gillian Sheen para niños
