Mary Joy Langdon

Sister Mary-Joy Langdon BEM (born 1951) is a British nun who was the first woman to be an operational firefighter in Britain on 21 August 1976. She started a pony riding centre to supply therapy and she was an Olympic flag carrier in 2012.

Life and career Langdon was born in 1951 in Battle, East Sussex. She attended Charters Towers School, Bexhill, East Sussex.

In the summer of 1976 there was a major drought in Britain and the fire brigades needed extra people. At the age of 25, she was the UK's first ever female firefighter to be formally admitted to a brigade. She joined on 21 August 1976, leaving in 1983.

Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre Sister Mary-Joy founded the Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre, a charity, in 1989. The Centre is an inner city community riding school for children and young people, many of whom have learning difficulties and physical disabilities. The children, parents and local people are encouraged to actively get involved by offering help with fund raising or joining the volunteering programmes. In 1994, the television programme Challenge Anneka built a training ground for the charity.

Sister Mary Joy's life and musical interests featured in Private Passions on BBC Radio 3, 28 December 2024.