Helen Audrey Ray Frith (born 12 July 1939) is an Australian

athlete An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-devel ...

. She competed in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics, representing her native country in the

long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

high jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

and

pentathlon A pentathlon is a contest featuring five events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words ''pente'' (five) and -''athlon'' (competition) ( gr, πένταθλον). The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of t ...

. She won silver medals at the

1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games The 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Australia, from 22 November to 1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth. The ...

in both the

and

and a bronze medal in the high jump at

1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games The 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (Welsh: Gemau Ymerodraeth Prydain a'r Gymanwlad 1958) were held in Cardiff, Wales, from 18–26 July 1958. Thirty-five nations sent a total of 1,130 athletes and 228 officials to the Cardiff Games ...

. She was born in

Roseville, New South Wales Roseville is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of Ku-ring-gai and Willoughby. Roseville Chase is a separate ...

, the daughter of

masters athletics Masters athletics is a class of the sport of athletics for athletes of over 35 years of age. The events include track and field, road running and cross country running. Competitors are bracketed into five-year age groups (which promotes fair comp ...

legend

Ruth Frith Ruth Pauline Frith (born Ruth Pursehouse, 23 August 1909 – 28 February 2014) was an Australian centenarian Masters athletics, masters athlete. She was the oldest active athlete. She is the current holder of the List of world records in mas ...

, who also coached her. She joined her mother in masters competition, under her married name Helen Searle she holds masters W60 world records in the

hammer throw The hammer throw is one of the four throwing events in regular track and field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and javelin. The "hammer" used in this sport is not like any of the tools also called by that name. It consis ...

and

throws pentathlon The throws pentathlon also called the weight pentathlon is a combined event in track and field. Like all pentathlon events, it consists of five events; the four Olympic throwing events hammer throw, shot put, discus throw and javelin throw, plus ...

. Frith was the 1960 Australian champion in the high jump, the 1964 and 1966 champion in the long jump, and five-time champion in the

, 1960, 1962, 1964–6.

References

* 1939 births Living people Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Australia Olympic athletes for Australia Australian female long jumpers Australian female shot putters Australian female discus throwers Australian female hammer throwers Australian female javelin throwers Athletes from Sydney Athletes from Brisbane Australian female high jumpers Australian masters athletes World record holders in masters athletics Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics 20th-century Australian women 21st-century Australian women Medallists at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Medallists at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Sportswomen from Queensland {{Australia-athletics-bio-stub