Four Nova Scotian Female Athletes That Made Sports History
As a farewell to Women’s History Month 2022, we’ve created a shortlist of inspiring Nova Scotian women that have made their mark on Nova Scotia and beyond with their outstanding achievements in sport. Prepare to be impressed.
Aileen Meagher:
Born in 1910, trailblazer track star Aileen Meagher started her athletic career at Dalhousie University. According to Historic Nova Scotia, Aileen kicked off her track career during a time when it was “unladylike” for women to run. Aileen didn’t let the gender stereotypes catch up to her. In the 1930s, Aileen was considered one of the fastest runners in Canada; setting record-breaking times winning a bronze medal at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin and a total of five medals at the 1934 and 1938 British Empire Games.
Aileen received the 1935 Velma Springstead Trophy as the Most Outstanding Canadian Female Athlete and the Norton Crowe Award as the Most Outstanding Canadian Athlete. In 2018, she was ranked eighth among the 15 greatest athletes in Nova Scotia’s history. She has been inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame (1965), Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame (2007), and Canada’s Sport Hall of Fame (2015).
Resources:
https://historicnovascotia.ca/items/show/73
Marjorie Turner-Bailey:
High school soccer and basketball player turned track star; Marjorie Turner-Bailey caught national attention for her speed in 1964, when she met a provincial record set by Aileen Meagher. Marjorie started to gain international attention, competing in events such as the Pan American Games in Mexico, the first World Cup in Germany, the Montreal Olympics, and the Commonwealth Games in Jamaica, New Zealand and Edmonton
During her athletic career, Marjorie set four Canadian track and field records. In 1978, Marjorie retired after winning a silver medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games.
Resources:
https://www.novamuse.ca/index.php/Detail/objects/125124
Nancy Garapick:
Nancy Garapick began swimming with the Halifax Trojan Aquatic Club at the age of seven. By the age of 13, she was an international sensation, setting a world record in the 200 metre back backstroke with a time of 2:16.33. In 1975, she was Canada’s female athlete of the year.
In 1975, she also won silver and bronze medals at the World Championship and two bronze medals in the 1976 Montréal Olympics. Nancy was named to the Canadian team for the boycotted 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Resources:
https://olympics.com/en/athletes/nancy-ellen-garapick
Colleen Jones:
In 1982, at 22 years old, curling star Colleen Jones was the youngest skip to ever win the Canadian Women’s Curling Championship. Colleen and her team, Nancy Delahunt, Mary Anne Arsenault, and Kim Kelly won two World Championships and the Tournament of Hearts six times. Colleen competed in 21 Canadian Championships and was the first skip to win four consecutive titles. In 2017, Colleen won her first World Senior Women’s Championship.
Resources:
https://www.sportshall.ca/hall-of-famers/hall-of-famers-search.html?proID=615&lang=EN
