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Dame
Mary Alison Glen-Haig DBE (born July 12, 1918) is a British fencer who competed in four Olympic games in 1948, 1952, 1956 and 1960.
She was born in London, the
daughter of William James, a fencer at the 1908 London Olympics.
She began competing professionally in 1937 and continued until
1960, during which time she won two gold medals at the Commonwealth
Games and competed in four Olympics in the women's individual
foil events. She was the first female member of the International
Olympic Committee and was knighted in 1993. Since London's
successful bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics in 2005, she
has been active as the host nation's ambassador to the games.
Early
life
Glen-Haig was born on July 12, 1918 in London, England.[1]
Her father, William James, was a competitor in fencing at the 1908
Summer Olympics in London.
Her brother and sister took up tennis, like their mother. Her interest in
fencing arose from time spent with her father, and she often
trained and practiced with him.[2][3]
Glen-Haig began participating in regional and world
championships in 1937 and continued to be active in these
tournaments until 1959. She first qualified for the Olympic Games
in 1948, the second time that they were held in her hometown of
London. The evening before she was to participate in these games,
she was still working at King's College Hospital, as
there was no true Olympic Village at these games.[2][3]
Olympic
career
The night before she was due to compete, Glen-Haig slept on a
camp bed in a room with two other women.[3]
In the Women's Foil,
Individual competition, she reached the finals, but did not
medal, placing 8th. She competed in the same event in at
the 1952, 1956
and 1960 Summer Olympics, as well as
in the Women's Foil, Team
in 1960, but never again reached the finals.[1]
She claims to have never worried whether or not she actually won a
medal.[3]
During this time, Glen-Haig also participated in the British Empire
Games (later the Commonwealth Games) from 1950-1958.
She won gold medals in the fencing competition in both 1950 and
1954.[2]
Later
life
Glen-Haig eventually moved to West Kensington, London, where
she worked at a hospital as district administrator from 1974 until
1982, the year that she was made the first female member of the International Olympic
Committee.[2]
She was also Chairman of the Central Council of
Physical Recreation during the 1970s.[4] She
continued to fence until her mid-to-late 70s.[3]
As of 2008, she is an honourary member of the IOC.[2]
Glen-Haig was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire
(MBE) in the 1971 Queen's Birthday Honours,[5]
promoted to Commander (CBE) in the 1977 New Year
Honours,[4] and
Dame Commander (DBE) in the 1993 New Year Honours.[2][6] At the
conclusion of the 2004 Summer Olympics, Glen-Haig
recited the English version of an ode in praise of Athens.[7] As
of 2008, she is serving as the ambassador from Britain to the 2012
Summer Olympics, which will also be held in London.[8]
References
United
Kingdom
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