Elizabeth Edmondson
Encyclopedia
When Edmonson was 14, her coach told her she had broken a world record while swimming at Beatty Park
as a member of the Swimming Squad. To qualify for the 1964 Summer Paralympics, she competed at the Third Australian Paraplegic Games held in Adelaide, South Australia. At the Australian Paraplegic Games in 1964, she broke a world record and a Commonwealth record. She won a gold medal in the 50m backstroke class e event with a time of 51.8 seconds, 15.2 seconds faster than the previous Commonwealth record time that she beat. The event was the Australian qualifying competition for the 1964 Summer Paralympics.
Around the time that Elizabeth was starting to prepare for the Paralympics, she was a student at St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls
, a member of the West Perth Swimming Club, and an avid surfer. Edmondson put her surfing on hold to spend more time training.
competitor. She was the youngest competitor at the 1964 Summer Paralympics
in Tokyo amongst athletes from all nations.She won three gold medals in the 1964 Summer Paralympics in the following events: the women's class 5 50 metre breaststroke with a world record time of 1.04.6; women's class 5 50 metre backstroke with a world record time of 0.50.8; women's class 5 complete 50 metre freestyle with a world record time of 0.39.7. She also won a silver medal in the class 4 incomplete 50 metre backstroke event with a time of 0.52.3, that beat the old world record. At the conclusion of the 1964 Games, Edmondson's parents acknowledged that swimming had greatly helped their daughter, but felt that she needed to quit the sport and concentrate on her education because swimming would not provide her with standing in life. After the 1964 games, Edmondson returned home and prepared for school exams.
Edmondson and Lorraine Dodds met Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother at a garden party hosted at Government House
when she visited Perth in 1966. Edmondson did not compete in the 1966 Commonwealth Paralympic Games. She was one of several Western Australian athletes who had difficulty finding funding to go to Brisbane for the qualifying competition for the Commonwealth Games.
Edmondson won a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Paralympics
in Tel Aviv in the 50 metre freestyle class 4 incomplete swimming event with a world record time of 0.44.1 and a gold medal in the 100 metre open freestyle swim event with a world record time of 1.33.0.
Edmondson competed with limited mobility in the water, during the Paralympics and the rest of her swimming career: She could only use her arms and shoulders to move through the water. Edmondson's swimming coach, Tony Howson, claimed that her swimming times were similar to those of able-bodied girls of the same age. She stopped competing after the 1968 Games for financial reasons, and was employed at Telstra
.
and swam a personal best time in the 800m Freestyle. From 2007 to 2009, she competed in several swimming events in a variety of strokes and distances around Australia in the women's 55–59 age group.
In 2008, Edmondson was part of a group of five swimmers out of the Stadium Snappers Masters Swimming Club in Perth, Western Australia that unofficially broke five state swimming records in the Gosnells short course 400/800 competition.
In 2009, Edmondson competed in the 12th Australian Masters Games held in Geelong, Victoria. She competed in several events including the 200m freestyle LC event in the 55–59 age class, where she finished fifteenth, 200m freestyle LC where she finished thirteenth, 200m backstroke LC where she finished fourth, 400m freestyle LC where she finished ninth, 800m freestyle LC where she finished fifth, and and the 50m backstroke where she finished fifth.
Edmondson competed at the 2010 Australian National Masters Swimming Championships, held in Launceston, Tasmania
. She competed in twelve individual events, and set eleven individual personal records. Her travel to the event was paid for by Wheelchair Sports WA through the Sir George Bedbrook Scholarship fund.
Edmondson competed at the 2011 X111 Australian Masters Games held in Adelaide, South Australia. She competed as a disabled swimmer in six individual events and four relays and won ten gold medals.
In December 2008, Edmondson was diagnosed with breast cancer
. Her treatment involved having a lumpectomy
.
Beatty Park
Beatty Park Leisure Centre is a swimming pool complex in the suburb of North Perth, Western Australia. The centre was built for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games as the major swimming event venue, along with the Perry Lakes Stadium athletics complex.The centre was refurbished in 1994...
as a member of the Swimming Squad. To qualify for the 1964 Summer Paralympics, she competed at the Third Australian Paraplegic Games held in Adelaide, South Australia. At the Australian Paraplegic Games in 1964, she broke a world record and a Commonwealth record. She won a gold medal in the 50m backstroke class e event with a time of 51.8 seconds, 15.2 seconds faster than the previous Commonwealth record time that she beat. The event was the Australian qualifying competition for the 1964 Summer Paralympics.
Around the time that Elizabeth was starting to prepare for the Paralympics, she was a student at St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls
St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls
Established in Claremont in 1896, the school currently caters for approximately 1,052 students from the Early Learning Centre to Year 12, including 150 boarders in Years 7 to 12...
, a member of the West Perth Swimming Club, and an avid surfer. Edmondson put her surfing on hold to spend more time training.
Paralympics
At the age of 14 years and 4 months, Edmondson was an Australian ParalympicParalympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
competitor. She was the youngest competitor at the 1964 Summer Paralympics
1964 Summer Paralympics
The 1964 Summer Paralympics, originally known as the 13th International Stoke Mandeville Games, were the 2nd Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Tokyo, Japan, they were the last Summer Paralympics to take place in the same city as the Summer Olympics until the 1988 Summer Paralympics...
in Tokyo amongst athletes from all nations.She won three gold medals in the 1964 Summer Paralympics in the following events: the women's class 5 50 metre breaststroke with a world record time of 1.04.6; women's class 5 50 metre backstroke with a world record time of 0.50.8; women's class 5 complete 50 metre freestyle with a world record time of 0.39.7. She also won a silver medal in the class 4 incomplete 50 metre backstroke event with a time of 0.52.3, that beat the old world record. At the conclusion of the 1964 Games, Edmondson's parents acknowledged that swimming had greatly helped their daughter, but felt that she needed to quit the sport and concentrate on her education because swimming would not provide her with standing in life. After the 1964 games, Edmondson returned home and prepared for school exams.
Edmondson and Lorraine Dodds met Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother at a garden party hosted at Government House
Government House, Perth
Government House in Perth is the official residence of the governor of Western Australia and was built between 1859 and 1864. The buildings and gardens are listed on the Western Australian Register of Heritage Places and are open to the public from time to time.-Description:The building is a two...
when she visited Perth in 1966. Edmondson did not compete in the 1966 Commonwealth Paralympic Games. She was one of several Western Australian athletes who had difficulty finding funding to go to Brisbane for the qualifying competition for the Commonwealth Games.
Edmondson won a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Paralympics
1968 Summer Paralympics
The 1968 Summer Paralympics were the third Paralympic Games to be held. Organised under the guidance of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation , they were known as the 17th International Stoke Mandeville Games at the time...
in Tel Aviv in the 50 metre freestyle class 4 incomplete swimming event with a world record time of 0.44.1 and a gold medal in the 100 metre open freestyle swim event with a world record time of 1.33.0.
Edmondson competed with limited mobility in the water, during the Paralympics and the rest of her swimming career: She could only use her arms and shoulders to move through the water. Edmondson's swimming coach, Tony Howson, claimed that her swimming times were similar to those of able-bodied girls of the same age. She stopped competing after the 1968 Games for financial reasons, and was employed at Telstra
Telstra
Telstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
.
Masters swimming
In 2006, she started to participate in competitive swimming again when she joined the Stadium Snappers Masters Swimming Club. In 2008, she qualified for the FINA World Masters ChampionshipsFINA World Masters Championships
The FINA World Masters Championships are the world championships open for masters swimmers, swimmers that are 25 years or older and compete in age groups of five years. The championships are held biennially.-Events:...
and swam a personal best time in the 800m Freestyle. From 2007 to 2009, she competed in several swimming events in a variety of strokes and distances around Australia in the women's 55–59 age group.
In 2008, Edmondson was part of a group of five swimmers out of the Stadium Snappers Masters Swimming Club in Perth, Western Australia that unofficially broke five state swimming records in the Gosnells short course 400/800 competition.
In 2009, Edmondson competed in the 12th Australian Masters Games held in Geelong, Victoria. She competed in several events including the 200m freestyle LC event in the 55–59 age class, where she finished fifteenth, 200m freestyle LC where she finished thirteenth, 200m backstroke LC where she finished fourth, 400m freestyle LC where she finished ninth, 800m freestyle LC where she finished fifth, and and the 50m backstroke where she finished fifth.
Edmondson competed at the 2010 Australian National Masters Swimming Championships, held in Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
. She competed in twelve individual events, and set eleven individual personal records. Her travel to the event was paid for by Wheelchair Sports WA through the Sir George Bedbrook Scholarship fund.
Edmondson competed at the 2011 X111 Australian Masters Games held in Adelaide, South Australia. She competed as a disabled swimmer in six individual events and four relays and won ten gold medals.
Recognition
Edmondson was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000, in recognition of her work as a swimmer. Edmondson was inducted into the Swimming Western Australia Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2009, Edmondson was inducted into the Wheelchair Sports WA Hall of Fame.Personal life
After she started working for TELSTRA, she married Ken Mills and had a daughter, Ruth.In December 2008, Edmondson was diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. Her treatment involved having a lumpectomy
Lumpectomy
Lumpectomy is a common surgical procedure designed to remove a discrete lump, usually a benign tumor or breast cancer, from an affected man or woman's breast...
.