Sheila Janet Carey MBE, (née Taylor; born 12 August 1946)[2] is a retired British middle-distance runner who represented the United Kingdom at the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics. In 1968, she placed fourth in the 800 metres, while in 1972, she finishing fifth in the 1500 metres, setting a new British record. She represented England at the Commonwealth Games in 1970 and 1974. She was also part of the British 4×800 metres relay team that twice broke the world record in 1970.
 Carey in 1970 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 August 1946 Coventry, Warwickshire, England |
| Height | 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) |
| Weight | 54 kg (119 lb) |
| Spouse |
Peter Carey (m. 1968) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | 800 m, 1500 m |
| Club | Coventry Godiva Harriers |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 800 m – 2:02.9 (1971) 1500 m – 4:04.81 (1972)[1] |
Biography
editAt the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Carey (competing under her maiden name of Taylor) placed fourth in the 800 metres.[2] Taylor married Peter Carey in Coventry during late 1968 and competed under her married name thereafter.[3]
In June 1970, in Edinburgh, the UK 4 × 800 m relay quartet of Rosemary Stirling, Carey, Pat Lowe and Lillian Board, broke the world record with 8:27.0. Carey became the British 800 metres champion after winning the British WAAA Championships title at the 1970 WAAA Championships.[4][5]
Then in September 1970 at the Crystal Palace, London, the quartet of Stirling, Georgena Craig, Lowe and Carey, improved the record to 8:25.0. In between these performances, Carey competed at the Commonwealth Games in July, held in Edinburgh. She finished eighth in the 800 m final, after a fall.
Carey competed at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, where she came in fifth in the 1500 m, setting a new British record at 4:04.8. This time remained Carey's best and as of 2013, ranked 19th on the UK all-time list. The race was won by Lyudmila Bragina and saw more than five runners beating the pre-Games world record.[6]
Carey continued to represent the UK at international level through 1973 and 1974. She ran her lifetime best for the mile, with 4:37.16 at the Crystal Palace in September 1973, where she finished second behind Joan Allison. She made her final appearance at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand. There she was eliminated in her heat of the 800 m in 2:09.16.[7]
After retiring from international athletics Carey later went on to teach in the United Kingdom, working for many years at Exhall Grange School, a school for children with sight loss and other disabilities, near Coventry in 1987.[8] She has been part-time at the school since 2006. Carey runs the U2 Track and Field Club and organises competitions for the sports charity British Blind Sport.[9] In 2012, she carried the Olympic torch through Warwick as part of the relay ahead of the London Olympic Games.[10] Her school also did a mini version of the Olympic Games.
She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to disability athletics.[9][11]
References
edit- ^ Sheila Carey (née Taylor). trackfield.brinkster.net
- ^ a b "Sheila Taylor". Sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
- ^ "Marriages". Free BMD. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ "Sheila Romps To Win Over Lillian". Birmingham Weekly Mercury. 21 June 1970. Retrieved 6 March 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ Athletics at the 1972 München Summer Games: Women's 1,500 metres. sports-reference.com
- ^ "Sheila Carey". Sporting-heroes.net. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
- ^ "Plans laid, now we need the money!". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 15 March 1999. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
- ^ a b "Warwickshire honours: Sports stars among those awarded". BBC News. BBC. 29 December 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ^ "Relay arrives in Warwick". Leamington Observer. 4 July 2012. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
- ^ "No. 60367". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2012. p. 15.
External links
edit
- Sheila Carey at sporting-heroes.net