Jean Wilson (speed skater)
Encyclopedia
Jean Wilson was an Olympic
Speed Skater.
She was born on July 19, 1910 in Glasgow
but her family emigrated to Canada
when she was a child. She began to skate at the age of 15 and represented Canada at the 1932 Olympics
where Women's speed skating
was a demonstration event. She won the 500 metre event, broke the Olympic record on two occasions on the way to claiming second place in the 1,500 metres and fell, while in the lead, just before the finish line in the 1,000 metres.
She developed myasthenia gravis
, an auto immune disease and died on September 3, 1933 at the age of 23. In 1934 the Jean Wilson Trophy for indoor women's speed skating was created by the Toronto Telegram
in her memory.
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Speed Skater.
She was born on July 19, 1910 in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
but her family emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
when she was a child. She began to skate at the age of 15 and represented Canada at the 1932 Olympics
1932 Winter Olympics
The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1932 in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The games opened on February 4 and closed on February 15. It would be the first winter olympics held in the United...
where Women's speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
was a demonstration event. She won the 500 metre event, broke the Olympic record on two occasions on the way to claiming second place in the 1,500 metres and fell, while in the lead, just before the finish line in the 1,000 metres.
She developed myasthenia gravis
Myasthenia gravis
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune neuromuscular disease leading to fluctuating muscle weakness and fatiguability...
, an auto immune disease and died on September 3, 1933 at the age of 23. In 1934 the Jean Wilson Trophy for indoor women's speed skating was created by the Toronto Telegram
Toronto Telegram
The Toronto Evening Telegram was a conservative, broadsheet afternoon newspaper published in Toronto from 1876 to 1971. It had a reputation for supporting the Conservative Party at both the federal and provincial level. The paper competed with the liberal Toronto Star...
in her memory.