August 6th, 2012 |
Are You Going To The Windmill To Meet An Olympian?
From the District Council website…
Have you been inspired by the diving deeds of Tom Daley and Team GB? Rochford District Council is offering you the opportunity to come and meet local resident and former Olympic diver, Ann Pearce (nee Long), who competed for Great Britain in three Olympic Games and only just missed out on a medal!
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On Wednesday 8th August between 10am-1pm, Ann will be at the Rayleigh Windmill sharing her experiences of competing at the very highest level and talking about what it takes to represent your country at the Olympics.
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The special event takes place a few days ahead of Tom Daley’s last chance to win a medal at London 2012 and, having competed at the Olympics in Helsinki 1952, Melbourne 1956 and Rome 1960, Ann knows exactly what the pressures are of standing on the board ready to dive for your country….
If you can’t get to see her, you can listen to her here:
“I’m been to the Olympic site several times, and it’s absolutely marvellous…”
Ron Oatham
Trevor Parrett
Bruce Smart
Chris Stanley
Pam Waldie
Elena Black
Rochford District Council carries out grass cutting on behalf of the County Council.
If you see a grass verge that badly needs cutting, you can report it
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August 8th, 2012 at 01:08
Hi Chris,
Just thought I would let you know that I had a great time meeting Ann Pearce (nee Long)this morning at the Rayleigh Mill. What a lovely lady! Although I did not stay for very long, it was very interesting to hear how she competed at such a high level in the 1952, 1956 & 1960 Games! She explained how difficult it was to train in those days and, of course, they did not have any sponsorships and were not allowed any PR – even to the point that she was asked to take part in television advertisements but was not allowed to due to strict amateur rules! All her training was done during her spare time as she worked. Even in her lunch breaks she used to go for a run, do her 20 mins training and then run back to work!
I did ask her your question – did she have any sporting heroes or heroines that inspired her when she was younger but I believe she did not (no specific names mentioned). She explained that she got her love of swimming and diving as a child and she progressed from there.
I’m glad I took the time to see her this morning with the added bonus of looking around the Mill as it was open to the public – the views from the 3rd floor are a lot different now to how it was for me 25 years ago!
Ruthie