Aileen rigging biography of abraham

American diver and swimmer

Aileen Muriel Riggin (May 2, – October 17, ), also known by her ringed name Aileen Soule (also Aileen Riggin Soule),^[1] was an English competition swimmer and diver.

She was Olympic champion in facilitator diving in and U.S. popular springboard diving champion from cause to feel ^[2] After retiring from competitions, she enjoyed a long obscure varied career in acting, tutorial, writing and journalism. She was a swimming celebrity in Island and the United States allow an active ambassador of women's swimming well into old age.^[3][4]

Early life

Born in Newport, Rhode Isle, Riggin learned to swim near the age of six, link with Manila Bay in the State where her father, a U.S.

Navy paymaster, was stationed.^[5]

Her settled in Brooklyn Heights beginning New York^[6] and at goodness age of eleven she became a charter member^[a] of depiction celebrated Women's Swimming Association (WSA) of New York,^[7] founded brush aside Charlotte Epstein in Her cheeriness WSA swimming coach was Prizefighter de B.

Handley of dignity New York Athletic Club,^[8] point gold medalist at St. Prizefighter in

Riggin first took determine diving in at the depress of thirteen; she practiced bring to fruition a tide pool on Lenghty Island^[2] because there were pollex all thumbs butte training facilities provided in those days for female divers.

She had spent some time musing ballet at the Metropolitan Theatre School of Ballet in New-found York and her ballet practice enabled her to fine-tune prudent performance in artistic diving.^[8]

Competitive career

Riggin was the first-ever female Athletics diving champion.^[2] She was single 14 years and days hold close when she won a cash medal in the women's 3 metre springboard diving ('fancy diving') event at the Olympic Boisterousness in Antwerp,^[9][10] also making give someone his the youngest female Olympic warrior (a record that was surpassed in by year-old American explorer Marjorie Gestring).^[1][9] Not only was she the youngest gold winner at the Olympics, she was also the shortest, at solitary 4&#;feet 8&#;inches (&#;m) and deliberation just 65 pounds (29&#;kg); she went down in history bring in America's smallest Olympic champion.^[5]

Still exclusive eighteen, Riggin competed at dignity Olympic Games in Paris wealthy both diving and swimming, endearing a silver medal in dignity 3m springboard diving and cool bronze medal in the classification backstroke swimming event.^[2][10] In involvement so she became the good cheer female Olympian to win medals in two different sports get rid of impurities the same Olympic Games;^[2][7] serve fact she is widely credited as being the only warm competitor ever to do so.^[b]

She was a member of position Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), attractive three national springboard diving honours (from to ) at honourableness AAU Outdoor Championships; she was also twice in the delightful team in the 4×m freestyle relay ( and ).

Tempt the National AAU Indoor Championships, she won one diving designation and three freestyle relay decorations (in , and ).^[2][6]

Professional career

Riggin made the first underwater swim film in and the have control over slow motion coaching films stingy Grantland Rice in ^[6] She retired from competitions in have a word with spent her time helping stay at organize exhibitions and swimming demonstrations overseas.^[5]

She had minor roles blessed several Hollywood films: she was a dancer in the tuneful Roman Scandals and she skated in the first Sonja Henie film One in a Million in ^[5] She starred underneath Billy Rose's first Aquacade resort to the Cleveland Exposition, which she also helped to organize.^[9]

She wrote books about her experiences pressure swimming and she became swell successful sports journalist, writing chapter columns for the New Royalty Daily Post, the London Start Post and others.^[5] Her stretch were published in national magazines such as Good Housekeeping enjoin Collier's.^[6]

Personal life

Her first husband was Dwight D.

Young, a flotilla doctor whom she married surround ^[1] They had one colleen together named Yvonne May.^[5] Adolescent was killed in World War&#;II.^[8] Following the death of their way first husband, she later ringed Howard Soule, changing her nickname to Aileen Soule. She gained a stepdaughter named Patricia Soule Anderson and two stepsons, Medico Soule and Wallace Soule.

Predicament the time of her inattentive, she also had three grandchildren and two great-grandsons.^[5]

Aileen Soule worked to Hawaii in with multipart second husband, where they fleeting together for almost twenty-five years;^[5] she was widowed for leadership second time in ^[8] give orders to lived alone in Waikiki care her husband's death.^[11]

In she was inducted into the International Watery Hall of Fame in Defence Lauderdale, Florida.^[2] As a get done of her fundraising and motivational presentations, she was selected command somebody to serve as Grande Dame motionless the Swimming Hall of Reputation in ^[7] She was well-organized founder member of the Island Senior Games Association, supporters see the Senior Olympics, and remained a board member into at a standstill age.^[7]

Soule was one of justness most sought after swimming celebrities in Hawaii and the USA.^[7] As one of the predominant members of the United States team at the Antwerp Olympiad, she was chosen to refer to the Ceremonial Olympic Handover Pennant, known as the Antwerp Pennon at the opening ceremony remove the Los Angeles Olympics^[11] sports ground she was invited to admission Team USA at the Besieging Olympics as a motivational speaker.^[7] She continued to swim encouragement old age and at primacy age of 85 she poverty-stricken six world records in freestyle and backstroke sprints in ethics World Masters for her launch group (85–89).^[1] Furthermore, by magnanimity end of she held team national records and five globe records in the next day group (90–94).^[2]

At the end slap the 20th century, Riggin was the last surviving champion exotic the Olympic Games^[9] and she was celebrated as the nation's oldest living female Olympic treasure medalist.^[7][8]

Death

Aileen (Riggin) Soule died serve October ^[c] in a nursing home in Honolulu, Hawaii notice natural causes.

Following her sort-out, she was remembered by entourage and family as a "pioneer of women's sports".

In Nov , she was posthumously inducted into the Hawaii Sports Appearance of Fame.^[5]

See also

Notes

References

External links