Anita Lonsbrough MBE: Huddersfield's olympic legend

Written by: Frances Stonehouse, Curator

With the Paris 2024 Olympics marking the crescendo of our summer of sports, I wanted to share with you a very special group of items that we are thrilled to have recently acquired.

We are always on the lookout to collect and preserve objects that represent the achievements of the people of Kirklees and so we jumped at the chance to acquire memorabilia of Olympian, Anita Lonsbrough.

Huddersfield's Anita is a true legend of swimming, and our new collection thoroughly represents her inspirational career. Now safe in the Kirklees collection, we can't wait to put them on display and share them with generations to come!

Signed souvenir programme from an event at the Theatre Royal, Huddersfield to honour Anita following her gold medal win at the Rome Olympics, 1960.

One of our own

Anita was born in York in 1941. Following a move to Huddersfield as a teen, her connection with the area was firmly cemented and we claimed her as our own! Her swimming career began and quickly gathered momentum at Huddersfield Bath Club which met at Cambridge Road Baths.

Huddersfield Bath Club tracksuit top worn by Anita.

Badges include: the British Empire & Commonwealth Games 1958, Y.S.A.S.A., E.S.S.A. Division 3, English Schools Swimming Association, North Eastern Counties, Yorkshire A.S., Huddersfield Borough Club and Huddersfield Y.S.

In 1958, at the age of 16, she competed in the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff winning Gold medals in record time in the 220 yd breaststroke and 4 x 110 yd relay.

Swimsuit worn by Anita at the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff in 1958

Additional medals followed that same year at the European Championships in Budapest with Anita winning silver in the 200m breaststroke and bronze in the 4 x 100m relay.

In 1960, at the age of 19, Anita became an olympic gold medallist at Rome in the 200m breaststroke, again in world record time.

Official Great Britain pool side robe worn by Anita at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Tracksuit worn by Anita at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

You can see Anita's winning race and the presentation of her gold medal in this fantastic video from Team GB below

Breaking the mould

Her success continued with Anita winning seven medals in 1962 alone.

European Championships - Leipzig

Gold - 200m breaststroke
Silver - 400m individual relay
Bronze - 4 x 100m medley

Commonwealth Games - Perth

Gold - 110 yd breaststroke
Gold - 220 yd breaststroke
Gold - 440 yd individual medley
Silver - 4 x 110 yd medley

Official Great Britain pool side robe worn by Anita at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth.

Anita's impressive achievements weren't just limited to the pool. She became the first female winner of BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1962, received an MBE for services to swimming in 1963, became the first female flag bearer for Great Britain in the 1964 Summer Olympics and a Member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Anita's legendary status as a swimmer and a female athlete is undeniable. Her abilities were medal winning and record breaking, but she also had the continuous support of our final object: her lucky towel!

Anita's lucky towel which accompanied her to every event.

We hope to display these items at Tolson Museum in the near future. As with all collection items in storage, we are happy to accept requests to view them. Further information and contact details are available at access to collections.

In the meantime, you can see a selection of Anita's medals on display at Huddersfield Leisure Centre , very kindly lent to us by Anita herself.