Janelle Kirtley facts for kids

Janelle Kirtley Skiing at Cypress Gardens 1960

Janelle (Jane Ellen) Kirtley Godfrey (December 8, 1943 – April 28, 2017) was an amazing American water skier. She became a World Champion! Janelle showed incredible talent and dedication in the sport.

Janelle Kirtley Godfrey: A Water Skiing Star

Janelle was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on December 8, 1943. Her parents, Robert and Mary Kirtley, guided her strictly. She learned to water ski when she was just 5 years old. By 1956, she began competing in water skiing tournaments.

Rising to World Champion

In 1959, at age 15, Janelle joined the U.S. Women's National Water Ski Team. She competed in Milan, Italy, that same year. In 1960, she won the overall title at the Masters Water Ski Tournament.

Her biggest wins came in the World Championship. She won the Women's Slalom Title in 1961. Then, in 1963, she won both the Tricks and Slalom events. She also earned many Water Skiing National Titles.

Life Beyond the Water

After her amazing sports career, Janelle studied nursing. She enrolled at St. Vincent's in Birmingham in 1961. She graduated as a nurse in 1964. Later, she received special honors for her achievements. In 2001, she got the Award of Distinction from the Water Ski Hall of Fame. In 2009, she was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Janelle's Family and Legacy

In 1965, Janelle married Roland LeGrand Godfrey. They raised three sons in Alabama. Janelle had eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her family kept the water skiing tradition alive. They still ski in the same waters she practiced in on the Black Warrior River in Alabama. Janelle had a famous saying for her family of water skiers: "If you ain't falling you ain't trying." This quote shows her spirit of always pushing limits.

Janelle's Major Competition Results

Janelle Kirtley Godfrey achieved many top results in her career:

• 1956 Overall, Slalom, and Tricks National Champion (La Porte, Indiana), Girls Division
• 1957 Slalom National Champion (San Diego, CA), Girls Division
• 1959 Slalom and Tricks National Champion and Second Overall (Laconia, New Hampshire), Girls Division
• 1960 Overall and Slalom National Champion (Minneapolis, MN), Girls Division
• 1960 Overall Masters Water Ski Tournament Women Division
• 1961 Overall and Tricks National Champion (Austin, Texas), Women Division
• 1961 World Water Skiing Champions Women Slalom and Women Overall
• 1963 Slalom and Tricks National Champion (Long Beach, California), Women Division
• 1964 Slalom National Champion (Webster, Massachusetts), Women Division
• 1964 Slalom Masters Water Ski Tournament Women Division

Images for kids

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  Janelle (Daughter) and Leona Kirtley (Mother) Doubles Front to Back Facing (1962)

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  Janelle Kirtley Cypress Gardens (1960)

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  Janelle Kirtley receives a sportsmanship award at 12 years old. (1955)

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  Janelle Kirtley Skiing at Cypress Gardens (August, 1960)

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  Judy Rosch, Barbara Cooper Clack, Janelle Kirtley (1961)

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  Janelle (Daughter) and Leona Kirtley (Mother) Doubles Both Front Facing (1962)

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  Janelle Kirtley Masters Water Ski Tournament ABC Wide World of Sports (1962)

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  Janelle Kirtley ToeHold Janelle Kirtley Practicing Toehold at 13 Years old (1956)