Birth name Beryl Martin Country Great Britain | Spouse(s) Duncan Sport Women's Rowing | |
 | ||
Born 26 June 1950 ( 1950-06-26 ) Died 11 September 2016, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia | ||
Beryl Crockford (formerly Mitchell; née Martin; 26 June 1950 – 11 September 2016) was a world-champion and Olympic rower who represented Great Britain from 1975 to 1986.
Contents
Representative rowing career
In the 1976 Olympics she rowed with Lin Clark in the women's coxless pairs, then in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics in the women's single sculls. Her silver medal in women's single sculls in the 1981 World Rowing Championships was the first medal achieved by a British woman at a World Rowing Championships, and her win with Lin Clark in the women's lightweight double sculls at the 1985 World Rowing Championships was the first gold medal for a British women's crew at any championships. When women's invitational events were introduced to Henley Royal Regatta, Mitchell won the inaugural single sculls in 1982.
Club rowing and coaching
Crockford trained as a dance teacher at Eastbourne College before turning to physical education, teaching and college lecturing even during her competitive career. She was the first female member nominated for membership of Leander Club when the club voted in April 1997 to admit women members (after 179 years a male-only club). In the 1990s she coached Lady Eleanor Holles School to be the most successful junior women’s rowing club in the country, and in 2013 she was reported to be coaching the Ancient Mariners squad, a masters crew who row from the Drummoyne Rowing Club in Sydney. For a number of years before her death she was the head coach of rowing at Sydney Boys High School and coached the school's 1st VIII.
Death
On 11 September 2016, Crockford succumbed to injuries she sustained after crashing into a parked car whilst cycling in the precinct of Sydney Olympic Park.