Vera Maud Searle (née Palmer; 25 August 1901 – 12 September 1998) was a British sprinter and athletics administrator. She was born in Leytonstone, London, on 25 August 1901 to Albert Palmer (1878–1935), assistant secretary of Chelsea Football Club, and Maud Mary Palmer (1879–1946). She was the eldest of four children. In 1923 she co-founded the Middlesex Ladies Athletics Club, now the Ealing Southall & Middlesex Athletics Club. Later the same year, she participated at the first WAAA Championships taking bronze medal in running 220 yards. Competing as Vera Palmer, she set a world record at 250 metres of 35.4 seconds in 1923 Paris and in 1925, again set a world record at 250 metres of 33.8 seconds at Stamford Bridge. In 1924 she participated at the 1924 Women's Olympiad and won the silver medal in running 250 m and the gold medal in the relay 4 x 220 yards. In August 1926, she won silver in the 250m at the

1926 Women's World Games The 1926 Women's World Games (Swedish II. Internationella kvinnliga idrottsspelen, French 2èmes jeux féminins mondiaux ) were the second regular international Women's World Games, the tournament was held between 27

, held at the

Slottsskogsvallen Stadium Slottsskogsvallen (, "The Castle Forest Field") is a multi-use stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is currently used mostly for football and athletics. It was the home ground of Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC till 2006. The stadium has a capacity of 8,480 ...

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

, Sweden. In October 1926, she married Wilfred Edwin Searle, and they had two daughters together; Brenda born 1928 and Angela born 1935. She was honorary secretary of the

Women's Amateur Athletic Association The Amateur Athletic Association of England or AAA (pronounced 'three As') is the oldest national governing body for athletics (sport), athletics in the world, having been established on 24 April 1880. Historically it effectively oversaw athletic ...

(WAAA) from 1930 to 1933, vice-chairman from 1959 to 1973, chairman from 1973 to 1981, and later president until the WAAA merged with the

Amateur Athletic Association The Amateur Athletic Association of England or AAA (pronounced 'three As') is the oldest national governing body for athletics in the world, having been established on 24 April 1880. Historically it effectively oversaw athletics throughout Britai ...

in 1991. She received the OBE in 1979 for services to athletics. She died in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, on 12 September 1998.

References

1901 births 1998 deaths British female sprinters Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Leytonstone Women's World Games medalists {{UK-sport-bio-stub