Judy Simpson facts for kids
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| Birth name | Judith Earline Veronica Livermore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 14 November 1960 Kingston, Jamaica |
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| Sport | Heptathlon and 100m hurdles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Rugby & District AC, Rugby Birchfield Harriers, Birmingham |
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Medal record
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Judy Simpson, born Judith Earline Veronica Livermore on November 14, 1960, is a famous British athlete. She was a top heptathlete, a sport with seven different events. She competed for Great Britain in two Olympic Games. Many people also know her as 'Nightshade' from the popular British TV show Gladiators, where she appeared from 1993 to 1996.
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Early Life and Other Sports
Judy grew up in Rugby, Warwickshire, England, after being born in Jamaica. She went to Harris School there. Before becoming a famous athlete, Judy was also very good at Taekwondo. She even became the English champion in this martial art and was part of the English team.
Judy Simpson's Athletics Career
Judy Simpson had a very successful career in athletics. She competed in many big events around the world.
Olympic Games Appearances
Judy represented Great Britain in the Olympic Games twice.
- At the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, she competed in the pentathlon, which has five events.
- Later, at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she took part in the heptathlon and the high jump.
Commonwealth Games Medals
She also competed in three Commonwealth Games, winning a medal each time in the heptathlon:
- In 1982 in Brisbane, Australia, she won a silver medal.
- At the 1986 games in Edinburgh, Scotland, she won a gold medal.
- In 1990 in Auckland, New Zealand, she earned a bronze medal.
European and Other Championships
Judy was also a champion in other important competitions. She won the Three A's heptathlon championship in both 1982 and 1983. In 1986, she won a bronze medal in the heptathlon at the European Championships in Stuttgart. This was her best score ever in the heptathlon, with 6623 points.
Television Career
After her athletics career, Judy Simpson became a well-known face on television.
The Grand Knockout Tournament
In 1987, she took part in a special charity TV show called The Grand Knockout Tournament. This event was organized by Prince Edward.
Gladiators as Nightshade
From 1993 to 1996, Judy was one of the 'Gladiators' in the popular British TV show Gladiators. She was known by her powerful name, 'Nightshade'. She was a strong and popular Gladiator. After competing in a special "Ashes" competition against Australian Gladiators, she became unwell. She appeared in a few episodes of the 1996 series but then had to leave the show.
