Marjorie Jackson

From Freepedia

Her Excellency Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, AC, CVO, MBE (born Marjorie Jackson on September 13, 1931 in Coffs Harbour) is an Australian athlete, leukaemia research fundraiser, and the current Governor of South Australia.

Marjorie Jackson first gained fame when she defeated reigning Olympic 100 and 200 m champion Fanny Blankers-Koen a number of times in 1949, earning the nickname "the Lithgow Flash", after the New South Wales town where she lived.

After having won four titles at the 1950 British Empire Games, she came as a favourite to the Helsinki 1952 Summer Olympics. She did not disappoint, and won both the 100 m and 200 m, winning the first Olympic athletics titles for Australia since Teddy Flack in 1896. Having more strong runners in the team, the Australian 4 x 100 m relay team was also a favourite for the gold, but a faulty exchange meant Jackson's chances for third gold medal were gone.

In 1953 Marjorie Jackson married Olympic cyclist Peter Nelson. After his death from leukaemia in 1977, she launched the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship.

In late 2001, Jackson was appointed as the governor of South Australia.

External links

• Biography at the Governor of South Australia website
• Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship Fund

Preceded by: Sir Eric Neal

Governor of South Australia 2001–

Succeeded by: (incumbent)

Olympic medalists in athletics (women) | Olympic Champions in Women's 100 m
Betty Robinson | Stanisława Walasiewicz | Helen Stephens | Fanny Blankers-Koen | Marjorie Jackson | Betty Cuthbert | Wilma Rudolph | Wyomia Tyus | Renate Stecher | Annegret Richter | Lyudmila Kondratyeva | Evelyn Ashford | Florence Griffith Joyner | Gail Devers | Marion Jones | Yulia Nesterenko

Olympic medalists in athletics (women) | Olympic Champions in Women's 200 m
Fanny Blankers-Koen | Marjorie Jackson | Betty Cuthbert | Wilma Rudolph | Edith McGuire | Irena Szewińska | Renate Stecher | Bärbel Eckert Wöckel (twice) | Valerie Brisco-Hooks | Florence Griffith Joyner | Gwen Torrence | Marie-José Perec | Marion Jones | Veronica Campbell