Dunedin chaperone Mima Ingram played a key
role in welding the small 1948 New Zealand Olympic team into
a cohesive unit.
"Mima was the Mum of the team and could not do enough for us," swimmer Ngaire Galloway (nee Lane) told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
She was in Dunedin for the official launch of the Otago Girls High School honours board.
Galloway (84) was the only woman in the
team and the regulations of the day meant a chaperone was
necessary to look after her.
Ingram had to pay her own way to the Olympic Games in London.
Galloway did not know how to get around the city or where she could find a swimming pool suitable for training.
"The Great Britain team heard of my dilemma and invited me to join their training," Galloway recalled.
"I trained with them and their coach helped me."
Galloway competed in the 100m backstroke and became close friends with Helen Yates, who swam the same event for Great Britain.
One of the highlights for Galloway was to beat Yates and win the English title in a lead-up event.
"I felt guilty beating her because she had helped me a lot," Galloway said.
"She became one of my best friends and we have kept in touch ever since."
It was a five-week journey by ship to England and Galloway was not able to do any serious training on board.
Galloway, Harold Nelson (athletics) and Maurice Crowe (weightlifting) are the only 1948 team members still alive.
Galloway and Nelson both live in Nelson.
There are 11 Olympians on the Otago Girls High School honours board.
Another board lists the 35 other internationals.
Athlete Yvette Corlett (nee Williams) and Jenny Armstrong (yachting) are the only gold medallists from the school.
Corlett (80), who won the long jump at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952, has had serious health problems over the past four years.
"I had an abscess on my brain, had two operations and was in hospital for three months. I couldn't walk or talk."
It has been a slow recovery and Corlett still has to use a walking frame.
She has vivid memories of the hero's welcome she received on her arrival home from the 1952 Olympics.
"School children lined the streets and there were big bunches of flowers at my home in Caversham."
Ngaire Galloway (nee Lane), swimming, 1948; Jean Hurring (nee Stewart), swimming, 1952; Yvette Corlett (nee Williams), athletics, 1952; Alison Riach (nee Calder), swimming, 1976; Jan Shearer, yachting, 1998, 1992, 1996; Jenny Armstrong, yachting, 1992, 2000; Elizabeth van Welie, swimming, 2000; Suzie Bates, basketball, 2008; Nina Daniels, synchronised swimming, 2008; Lisa Daniels, synchronised swimming, 2008; Nina Rillstone, athletics, 2008.