CHANGE-MAKERS
While individuals may encounter difficulties in life simply because of their gender, skin colour, religion or country of origin, the Games, with the diversity of the athletes who take part, champion the right to be different. Participating at the Games may not change the world, but it can certainly help make a difference.
Fanny Blankers-Koen (1948-08-05) by IOCThe Olympic Museum
FANNY BLANKERS-KOEN (NED, ATHLETICS) - 1918-2004
Thirty-year-old Olympian, mother and housewife: A winning combination.
At the end of the Second World War, the sports world needed a hero to celebrate, and it was a woman, Fanny Blankers-Koen, who played this role.
In 1948, at the Games in London, Fanny was 30. People thought she was too old to compete, and that she should be at home looking after her children instead of on the athletics track.
She simply told the critics: “I’ll show you.”
And she went on to win four gold medals: in the 80m hurdles, 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.
As the women’s world record-holder in the high jump and long jump, she could well have won even more medals at these Games but for a rule at the time barring women from taking part in more than three individual athletics events.
80m hurdles
4x100m relay
Take a look at other inspiring Change-Maker portraits in our webdoc.
change-makers.blog-tom.com
Useful information about The Olympic Museum in Lausanne www.olympic.org/museum
