Peter Heatly facts for kids
Heatly at the 1950 British Empire Games
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 9 June 1924 Edinburgh, Scotland |
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| Died | 17 September 2015 (aged 91) Edinburgh, Scotland |
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| Education | University of Edinburgh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) |
Jean Hermiston
(m. 1948; died 1979)Mae Calder Cochrane
(m. 1984; died 2003) |
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| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Diving | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Sir Peter Heatly (born 9 June 1924, died 17 September 2015) was a famous Scottish diver. He later became the Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation. He competed in both the 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform diving events. Peter Heatly took part in the 1948 and 1952 Olympic Games. He also competed in the British Empire Games in 1950, 1954, and 1958. He won five medals at the British Empire Games and one European medal. His best Olympic finish was fifth place in 1948. Peter Heatly was honored with a knighthood in 1990. He was also inducted into several sports halls of fame. These include the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2016.
Contents
Early Life and Diving Start
Peter Heatly was born in Leith, Scotland. He went to Leith Academy for his education. He started his diving journey with the Portobello Amateur Swimming Club. Peter was inspired to dive after watching a diver named Pete Desjardins. This happened when Peter was just eleven years old. Desjardins even gave him some helpful diving tips.
By the age of thirteen, Peter Heatly became the East of Scotland Champion in 1937. He held this title until World War II began in 1939. The war put a pause on many things, but Peter still set records in swimming. He became a record holder in the 440-yards and 880-yards races. Peter studied engineering at the University of Edinburgh. He continued to train with his swimming club during this time.
Peter wanted to join the army during the war. However, because he was doing well in his university studies, he was advised to join the Officers' Training Corps instead. After graduating, he joined the Royal Engineers. But the war ended before he could be sent to serve. Peter then became an apprentice at a naval dockyard. He kept up his training and became a Scottish Freestyle Champion in 1946. He held this swimming title until 1958. In 1948, Peter married Jean Hermiston. He managed his family's heating and ventilation business. He also ran a building company while competing and raising his four children.
Amazing International Competitions
Peter Heatly showed his talent on the world stage. At the 1948 Olympics, he finished fifth in the platform diving event. He placed 13th in the springboard event.
British Empire Games Success
In 1950, Peter competed at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, New Zealand. He won a gold medal in the platform event. He also earned a silver medal in the springboard event. The journey to Auckland by ship took five weeks. Peter could not practice much during this long trip. He only had one training session at a U.S. base in Panama.
At the 1952 Olympics, Peter Heatly placed 12th in the platform. He finished 16th in the springboard event. In 1954, he went to the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada. There, he won another gold medal in the springboard. He also took home a bronze medal in the platform event. In the same year, he won a bronze medal at the European Championships.
The 1958 Commonwealth Games were held in Cardiff, Wales. Peter Heatly was chosen as the captain for the Scotland Team. He was also the flagbearer, carrying his country's flag. He won a gold medal in the platform diving event. After this great win, he decided to retire from competitive diving.
Life After Competition
After retiring from diving, Peter Heatly continued to be very involved in sports. He became the Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland from 1967 to 1971. This organization is now called Commonwealth Games Scotland. He also served as Chairman of the Scottish Sports Council from 1975 to 1987. This council is now known as sportscotland. From 1982 to 1990, he was the Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
Peter Heatly had a special connection with the Commonwealth Games. He attended seventeen games in a row, from 1950 to 2014. He took on many different roles during these games. He was a competitor, an organizer, and the Chairman of the Federation. He also served as Life Vice President of the Federation, team manager, and Chef de Mission.
He was also the President of Scottish Swimming twice. He was Chairman of the British Swimming Federation. Peter Heatly was a Councillor for the City of Edinburgh. He played a key role in planning the Royal Commonwealth Pool. He also worked on European (LEN) and World (FINA) Technical Diving Committees. He held these roles from 1966 to 1988.
Awards and Recognitions
Peter Heatly received many honors for his contributions. He was awarded a CBE in 1971. He was then knighted in 1990. This means he was given the title "Sir." He was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. He also joined the Scottish Swimming Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2016, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He was made a Deputy Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh in 1984. He also received honorary degrees from the University of Edinburgh in 1992 and St Margaret's College in 1994.
Family Life
Peter Heatly had four children with his first wife, Jean. Jean passed away in 1979. He later married Mae Cochrane, who also had four children from a previous marriage. Together, Peter and Mae had twenty grandchildren. Mae passed away in 2003.
Peter Heatly lived with prostate cancer for nearly thirty years. He passed away in 2015. His grandson, James Heatly, has followed in his footsteps. James won a bronze medal in 1-meter springboard diving at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. James Heatly also won a gold medal in 10-meter mixed synchronized diving at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He competed with his partner, Grace Reid.
