Betty Cuthbert

Betty Cuthbert was a famous Australian athlete and Olympian, who was nicknamed the "Golden Girl" of Australian athletics. She was born on April 20, 1938, in Merrylands, New South Wales, to Leslie and Marion Cuthbert. She had a twin sister named Marie and a brother named John. She grew up in the Sydney suburb of Ermington, where she attended Ermington Public School and Parramatta Home Science School. She left school at the age of 16 to work in the family nursery. Cuthbert was a member of the Western Suburbs Athletic Club and trained under June Ferguson. She had a distinctive running style, with a high knee lift and mouth wide open. She set world records for 60 metres, 100 yards, 200 metres, 220 yards and 440 yards during her career. She also contributed to Australian relay teams completing a win in the 4 × 100 metres, 4 × 110 yards, 4 × 200 metres and 4 × 220 yards. Cuthbert became a national hero when she won three gold medals at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 × 100 metres relay events. She was only 18 years old at the time and had bought tickets to watch the Games as a spectator before qualifying for the team. She was the first Australian to win three gold medals at one Olympics and the first woman to win the sprint double. Cuthbert set four world records in 1958 but injury hampered her performance at the 1960 Rome Olympics and she retired shortly afterwards. However, she made a comeback in 1962 and decided to compete in the inaugural women's 400 metres event at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. She won the gold medal in a world record time of 52 seconds, becoming the only athlete to have won Olympic gold in all three sprint distances. Cuthbert was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1969 and spent much of her later life confined to a wheelchair. She remained active in raising awareness and funds for the disease and was involved in various charitable causes. She also had a strong Christian faith that sustained her through her challenges. She carried the Olympic torch at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, which was one of her last public appearances. Cuthbert died on August 6, 2017, in Mandurah, Western Australia, at the age of 79. She was widely regarded as one of Australia's greatest athletes and an inspiration to many generations of sportswomen. She was named an Australian National Treasure in 1998 and was inducted as a Legend in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame in 2000.