Isabelle White

Isabelle Mary White (1 September 1894 – 24 June 1972) was the first British diver to win a medal at the Olympic Games, and the first to win a European championship. She start diving eight years before women's aquatics events became part of the Olympic Games, as well as the Ilford Ladies' Swimming Club.

Diving career

Olympic Games In the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Belle White won a bronze medal in the plain high diving event, which required two dives from 5 metres and three dives from 10 metres. It was the first year that diving and swimming events for women were included in the Olympics. Twelve out of 14 competitors in the plain high platform diving event, including the gold and silver medalists, were Swedish. White placed fourth at the 1920 Olympics, while British teammate Eileen Armstrong won silver. She was the only woman on the British squad to make it to the final in the event. Nearly 34 years old, she was the oldest member of the British diving squad. Although she had not been selected for the British team, White decided to travel to the championships independently. In 1926, the championship was held in Torquay and watched by 10,000 spectators. Following the competition, White did an exhibition dive from a height of over fifty feet, from Saddle Rock in Torquay.

Post-diving career In 1930, White retired from active competition, and was elected vice president of the Amateur Diving Association. The Belle White Trophy was named in her honour in 1935. Now known as the Belle White National Memorial Trophy, the cup is awarded each year to "the female team with the highest aggregate score at the Swim England Diving National Age Group Championships.