She attended Ruislip Athletic Club, where she was trained by Dorothy Tyler-Odam. She won the All-England Schools title in 1960.[5]
Career
By the early 1960s, she was a biology teacher. By 1964 she taught at a Hertfordshire school; aged 23, she had given up teaching that year.[6]
Athletics
She broke the English high jump record on Saturday 4 July 1964 at White City at the Women's AAA Championships, jumping 5 ft 8.5in, equalling the British record.[7]
On Saturday 15 August 1964 she jumped 5 ft 9in at White City, in a Britain-Poland competition, taking the British record, which had stood since 1956.
At Portsmouth she jumped 5 ft 9.25in, increasing the British record on Saturday 26 September 1964. At the same event at Alexandra Park, Portsmouth, Mary Rand also unofficially broke the women's long jump world record, and was the first woman to jump 22 ft, but she had a back wind.[8]
On 15 October 1964 in the Olympic final, she came 6th, being the only British woman in the final.
Emigration to Australia
She emigrated to Australia in December 1966 after not being picked for the England Commonwealth nor the British European team. She looked to compete for the Australian team in the 1968 Summer Olympics.[9]
She moved to Brisbane on 14 December 1966 to work for an airline.[10]
She moved to England for three months in 1968 to try to get into the British team for the upcoming 1968 Summer Olympics.[11]
