Helle Gotved

Helle Tyrsted Gotved née Rasmussen (1912–2006) was a Danish gymnastics instructor and writer. From 1932, together with her husband Aage Gotved, she began to develop a new approach to gymnastics known as Gotved Gymanstics based on a combination of breathing, voice and physical exercise involving the natural movements of the body. From the mid-1950s, backed by her publications and radio programmes, her approach became popular throughout Denmark. Instructors in Godved Gymnastics are still educated at the Gotved Institute which is named after her.

Biography Born on 25 October 1912, Gotved was the daughter of the gymnastics director Niels Hansen Rasmussen (1854–1924) and his wife Mette Marie Agnete Elisabeth Otterstrøm (1873–1969). She was born and raised in the Gymnastics House (Gymnastikhuset) on Vodroffsvej in Frederiksberg which her father had built in 1898 in order to teach the approach to gymnastics developed by the Swede Pehr Henrik Ling in the early 19th century. When her father died in 1924, her mother continued to run the facility. In addition to her publications, she also hosted Ha’ det bedre (Feel Better) a weekly radio programme which ran every Saturday morning for 26 years. She also ran a two-year educational programme as well as shorter courses which attracted schoolteachers, physiotherapists and relaxation therapists.

Gotved continued to run the Gymnastics House until 1984 when she transferred its management to Lizzi Jørgensen and Inge Gotved, her daughter in law. She went on to publish two volumes of memoires, Bsrn i Gymnastikhuset (A Child in the Gymnastics House, 1992) and Mit livs gymnastikhistorie (My Life in Gymnastics, 1995).

Helle Gotved died on 19 June 2006 and is buried in Solbjerg Park Cemetery.

Awards In 1982, Gotved was awarded the PH Prize and the Gerlev Prize. She was honoured as a Knight of the Dannebrog in 1987.