East End Women’s Museum: Edna Child – From the Land Army to the Olympics

Fright or flight?

Edna was petrified of heights. The first time she climbed the 3M springboard she accidently fell in! ‘Come on Edna’ she told herself as she stood, frozen in fear on the 10M springboard. In that very moment, she felt she was flying.

“Don’t be overawed by anybody or anything. I know about that because I grew up being overawed by everything. I didn’t think I was any good at all.” – Edna Child

Sunday Dispatch, 11th July, 1937

Edna grew up with a debilitating condition called Emphysema which affected her ability to breath. She spent much of her childhood at Great Ormond Street Hospital undergoing operations and at the age of 12, she took up swimming to rebuild her strength. Three years later, aged 15, Edna won a bronze medal in the Olympics. 

Soon Edna had to swap her swimsuit for this uniform. In 1939 Britain declared war and Edna joined the Land Army.

She longed to swim but the closest pool was over five miles away. When her unit supervisor learnt of her talent, she had her transferred closer to the pool, at the glasshouse department. This gifted Edna the time to slip away during her breaks to practice. It was not long until she was competing again. After the war, Edna went on to participate in the 1950’s British commonwealth games, winning a gold medal in the 3-metre springboard.