Valerie Robertson

Valerie Robertson (née Forder; born 1943) is a British former Paralympic athlete who competed in archery, athletics, swimming, and wheelchair fencing, winning at least a silver medal in each. She won a total of six Paralympic gold medals at three Games. After completing her Paralympic career, Robertson had a very successful transition to wheelchair lawn bowling.

Valerie Robertson

Personal information
Birth name	Valerie Forder
Born	1943 (age 76–77)
Sport
Country	United Kingdom
Sport	Paralympic athletics, archery, swimming, and wheelchair fencing
Medal record Paralympics[1] Swimming 1964 Tokyo Women's 50 m Freestyle Supine complete class 3 1968 Tel Aviv Women's 50 m Backstroke class 3 complete 1968 Tel Aviv Women's 50 m Breaststroke class 3 complete 1968 Tel Aviv Women's 50 m Freestyle class 3 complete 1964 Tokyo Women's 50 m Breaststroke complete class 3 1964 Tokyo Women's 50 m Freestyle Prone complete class 3 Athletics 1968 Tel Aviv Women's 60 m Wheelchair B 1968 Tel Aviv Women's Pentathlon complete 1964 Tokyo Women's Discus C Archery 1964 Tokyo Women's Albion Round open Wheelchair fencing 1964 Tokyo Women's Foil Team 1976 Toronto Women's Foil Novice Team

Sporting career

Robertson, competing under her maiden name of Forder, participated in the 1964 Summer Paralympics and again in 1968. She entered four different sporting disciplines, winning at least a silver in each one.[1]

At the 1964 Games, Robertson won a medal in all but one of the events in which she competed. She won gold in the 50m freestyle, along with two other swimming medals. She also received silver in the archery and wheelchair fencing, along with a bronze in the discus, only missing out on a medal in the club throw.[1]

It was at the 1968 Games in Tel Aviv that Robertson achieved her greatest results, winning five gold medals out of the nine events in which she competed. Three medals came from 50m swimming events (the backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle) with two further golds in athletics (the 60m wheelchair race and the pentathlon).[1]

Robertson returned to the Paralympics at the 1976 Games in Toronto, competing under her married name. She entered three events, winning bronze in a wheelchair fencing team event.[2]

Turning her attentions to lawn bowls, Robertson helped to improve wheelchair access to greens and a ramp to assist in the launch of the balls. She quickly became one of the leading female bowlers, hailed as one of the all-time best competitors in the Scottish Disability Sport National Bowls Championships. Alongside her husband John, Robertson is viewed as having a significant impact on Scottish disability bowls and they are credited with helping the country achieve international success in the sport.[3]

Personal life

Valerie Robertson was born in 1943 and is married to John Robertson, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist.[3]

References

1. "Athlete Search Results (V. Forder)". British Paralympic Association. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
2. "Athlete Search Results (V. Robertson)". British Paralympic Association. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
3. "Valerie Robertson – born 1943 in London now living in Melrose". Scottish Disability Sport. Retrieved 8 August 2013.