Mary Frizzell (later ''Thomasson'', January 27, 1913 – October 12, 1972) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

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 ...

who competed in the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

. She was born in

Nanaimo Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "H ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

and died in North Vancouver. Frizzell competed for Canada in the

held in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, United States in the 4x100 metres where she won the silver medal with her team mates Mildred Fizzell, Lillian Palmer and

Hilda Strike Hilda Gwendolyn Strike (later ''Sisson'', September 1, 1910 – March 9, 1989) was a Canadian track athlete and Olympic medalist. She was born in Montreal and died in Ottawa. Competing in the 1932 Summer Olympics, she won a silver medal in ...

who had won the silver medal on the 100 metres. In the 100 metre event Frizzell was eliminated in the semi-finals At the

1934 British Empire Games The 1934 British Empire Games were the second edition of what is now known as the Commonwealth Games, held in England, from 4–11 August 1934. The host city was London, with the main venue at Wembley Park, although the track cycling events wer ...

she finished fourth in the long jump competition. She continued to support track and field by coaching, serving on the Amateur Women's Athletic Federation and acting as the Women's commandant for the 1954 British Empire Games (Commonwealth Games). Mary lost a long fought battle with cancer in 1972 at the age of 59. She was survived by husband Gilbert Thomasson and her daughters Louise and Vonna. In May 2007 Mary Frizzell (Thomasson) was inducted posthumously into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame as a Pioneer .

External links

sports-reference.com
1913 births 1972 deaths Canadian female sprinters Canadian female long jumpers Deaths from cancer in British Columbia Olympic track and field athletes for Canada Athletes (track and field) at the 1932 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for Canada Commonwealth Games competitors for Canada Athletes (track and field) at the 1934 British Empire Games Sportspeople from Nanaimo Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field) {{Canada-Olympic-medalist-stub