Shirley Strickland facts for kids
Strickland at the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland
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| Full name | Shirley Barbara Strickland de la Hunty | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Australian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 18 July 1925 Guildford, Western Australia |
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| Died | 11 February 2004 (aged 78) Perth, Western Australia |
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| Alma mater | University of Western Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7+1/2 in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 126 lb | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 100–400 m, 80 m hurdles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | University, Applecross, Melville | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 100 m – 11.3 (1955) 200 m – 24.1 (1955) 400 m – 56.6 (1956) 80 mH – 10.89 (1956) |
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Medal record
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Shirley Strickland (born Shirley Barbara Strickland on 18 July 1925, died 11 February 2004) was an amazing Australian athlete. She won more Olympic medals in running than any other Australian person. Her full name was Shirley Barbara de la Hunty, and she was also known as Shirley Strickland early in her career. She received special honors like the AO and MBE for her achievements.
Contents
Early Life and Family Background
Shirley Strickland was the second of five children and the only daughter in her family. She grew up on a farm located east of Pithara, Western Australia, a town in the wheatbelt region.
Shirley's Athletic Father
Shirley's father, Dave Strickland, was also a talented athlete. He worked in the goldfields of Menzies in Western Australia. Dave couldn't go to the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris because he didn't have enough money for the trip.
Instead, in 1900, he focused on a famous foot-race called the Stawell Gift. He won the 130-yard (120-meter) race in just 12 seconds. His running was considered as good as Stan Rowley's, who won Australian sprint titles that year. Stan Rowley later won three bronze medals at the 1900 Paris Olympics. Dave Strickland also played Australian rules football for teams like St Kilda and West Perth.
Shirley's Mother
Shirley's mother, Violet Edith Merry, was born in America. Her father was a British mining engineer, and her mother was Norwegian.
Education and Early Sports
Shirley Strickland's first lessons were done by mail, known as correspondence education. From 1934 to 1937, she went to the new East Pithara School. She won a scholarship to attend Northam High School. In 1939, as a schoolgirl athlete, she won 47 out of 49 events!
After high school, she went to the University of Western Australia. In 1946, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Physics. In her free time, she taught math and physics to soldiers returning from war at Perth Technical College. She also played hockey for the university team. During this time, she became known as a very skilled sprinter and hurdler.
Shirley's Amazing Athletic Career
The Second World War caused problems for women's sports in Australia. Some athletes, including Shirley, joined the war effort.
While teaching at Perth Technical College, she was coached by Austin Robertson Sr.. He was a former world champion sprinter. With his help, she greatly improved her 100-yard time. At the 1947 Western Australia state championships, she won many events. These included the 100 yards, 220 yards, 440 yards, 90-yard hurdles, and the shot put.
Olympic Success Begins
In 1948, Shirley started running seriously and achieved great success. She won the national title in the 80-meter hurdles. She then joined the Australian team for the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.
At the 1948 Olympics, Shirley won a bronze medal in the 100 meters. She also won a bronze medal in the 80-meter hurdles. She earned a silver medal as part of the 4x100 meter relay team. In the 200-meter final, she was given fourth place. However, a photo finish reviewed later showed she actually came in third!
More Gold Medals
After winning three gold medals at the 1950 British Empire Games, Shirley won her first Olympic gold. This happened at the 1952 Games in Helsinki. She won the 80-meter hurdles in a new world record time of 10.9 seconds. A mistake with the baton in the 4x100 meter relay kept her from winning another gold. In the 100 meters, she won another bronze medal.
In 1955, she set a new world record of 11.3 seconds for the 100 meters in Poland. At the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, she won gold again in the 80-meter hurdles. She also won gold with the Australian 4x100 meter relay team.
Life After Athletics
After her amazing athletic career, Shirley de la Hunty stayed involved with the Olympics. She helped manage the Australian teams at the 1968 and 1976 Olympics. She also coached sprinter Raelene Boyle for the 1976 Olympic season.
Shirley and her husband were very involved with the Australian Democrats, a political party. She was a founding member and later led the party's branch in Western Australia. From the 1970s to the 1990s, Shirley often ran for state and federal political jobs. She was never elected, but she tried hard in many elections. She also served as a council member for the City of Melville from 1988 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2003.
Shirley de la Hunty was one of several famous Australian female Olympians. She helped carry the Olympic Flag at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Games. In 2001, she decided to sell her sports items, including her Olympic gold medals. Some people criticized her for this. But she said she had the right to do it. She explained that the money would help pay for her grandchildren's education. It would also allow her to donate a lot of money to protect old-growth forests. A group of business people bought her items for the National Sports Museum in Melbourne. They wanted to make sure her memorabilia stayed in Australia.
Personal Life
In 1950, Shirley married Lawrence Edmund de la Hunty, a geologist. He had been one of her students at Perth Technical College. They had four children: Phillip (born 1953), Barbara (born 1957), Matthew (born 1960), and David (born 1963). Matthew became the lead singer for an Australian rock band. David is an eye doctor in Rockingham. Lawrence passed away in 1980 at the age of 56.
Shirley de la Hunty was given the title Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2001. This was for her service to the community, especially in protecting nature and for her work in local government and athletics. Before that, in 1957, she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her contributions to athletics.
Shirley's body was found on February 16, 2004. The coroner determined she had passed away on the evening of February 11. The government of Western Australia held a special state funeral for her. This was the first time they had done this for a private citizen.
A park in Ardross, a suburb of Perth, is named Shirley Strickland Reserve in her honor. In 2011, Shirley was added to the WA Women's Hall of Fame. In 2014, she was also inducted into the International Association of Athletics Federations Hall of Fame.
Images for kids
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Strickland at the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland
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Statue of Shirley Strickland outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground
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Shirley Strickland aged 23
See also
In Spanish: Shirley Strickland de la Hunty para niños
