Joyce Macdonald

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.

Joyce Macdonald
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
Spouse(s)Douglas Stretton Walker
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportSwimming
Achievements and titles
National finals100 yards backstroke champion (1939, 1940, 1941)
200 m backstroke champion (1939, 1940, 1941)

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 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney,[3] becoming the first Empire Games representative from 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]

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References
  1. "Death search: registration number 2003/17582". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  2. "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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