Joyce Macdonald

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Joyce Macdonald
Macdonald in 1938
Personal information
Birth nameAlice Joyce Macdonald
Born(1922-02-24)24 February 1922
Invercargill, New Zealand
Died3 August 2003(2003-08-03) (aged 81)
Invercargill, New Zealand
SpouseDouglas Stretton Walker
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportSwimming
Achievements and titles
National finals100 yards backstroke champion (1939, 1940, 1941)
200 m backstroke champion (1939, 1940, 1941)

Alice Joyce Walker (née Macdonald, 24 February 1922 − 3 August 2003) was a New Zealand backstroke swimmer, who, as Joyce Macdonald, represented her country at the 1938 British Empire Games.

Biography

Born on 24 February 1922, Macdonald was from Invercargill.[1][2] She came to national attention as a 15-year-old in 1937 when she broke her own national intermediate girls' record for the 100 yards backstroke with a time of 1:17.8, which was only 1.4 seconds slower than the senior record for the event, held by Ena Stockley.[2]

She was selected to swim for New Zealand in the 110 yards backstroke at the

Southland.[4] She began well in her heat, being in second place at the turn, but faded in the second half of the race to finish in a time of 1:28.6 and did not qualify for the final.[5] Macdonald also competed in the 3 x 110 yards medley relay at the Sydney games, alongside Winnie Dunn and Mona Leydon, with the trio recording 4:22.3 in finishing fifth.[6]

In March 1938, Macdonald broke Ena Stockley's national 100 yards backstroke record at Gisborne, recording 1:16.2.[7] Later that year, in November, she broke the New Zealand 200 m backstroke record, previously held by Marie Farquhar of Auckland, with a time of 3:10.0.[8] In January 1939, she swam the 100 metres backstroke in 1:22.0, breaking the previous record held by Ena Stockley by 2.4 seconds.[9] In February 1940, Macdonald became the first New Zealand woman to swim 200 metres backstroke in under three minutes, with a time of 2:56.8.[10]

Macdonald won the 100 yards and 200 metres backstroke titles at the New Zealand national championships in 1939, 1940 and 1941.[11]

After World War II, Macdonald married Douglas Stretton Walker; he died in 1989.[12] Joyce Walker died on 3 August 2003.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Death search: registration number 2003/17582". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  2. ^ a b "General sports news". New Zealand Herald. 30 June 1937. p. 21. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  3. ^ "N.Z. swimmers: team for Sydney". Auckland Star. 17 December 1937. p. 15. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  4. ^ Valli, Jim (11 November 1998). "Some names overlooked". Southland Times. p. 23.
  5. ^ "Swimming events: no N.Z. success". Evening Post. 7 February 1938. p. 7. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Results for the 1938 British Empire Games: swimming – 330 yard medley relay – women". Commonwealth Games Federation. 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  7. ^ "Disputed record". Evening Post. 27 April 1938. p. 5. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  8. ^ "Records broken at Invercargill". The Press. 15 November 1938. p. 16. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  9. ^ "Records broken". Evening Post. 20 January 1939. p. 15. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  10. ^ "Swimming: records broken". The Press. 3 February 1940. p. 2. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  11. ^ McLintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Swimming – national championships". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Wellington: Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Cemetery result". Invercargill City Council. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
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