Millie Hudson

Millie Hudson (11 July 1902 – 17 September 1966) was a British diver, open water swimmer, diving coach, and sports journalist. She competed in the women's 3 metre springboard event at the 1924 Summer Olympics. In 1927, she attempted to swim across the English Channel, but had to abandon her attempt after 13 hours in the water. In 1928, she attempted to cross the Strait of Gibraltar, but failed after 8.5 hours due to rough waters. In a July 1927 interview, Hudson said that her employer had agreed to give her time off from work to train, but was unsure about how she would raise money for her swim. Thirteen hours later, she had to abandon the attempt, due to choppy waters, although she was in sight of the English shore. On 2 January 1928, she abandoned her attempt after 8.5 hours, when she was 4.5 miles from the Spanish shore, due to rough waters. The same day, fellow British swimmer Mercedes Gleitze was also forced to abandon her attempt. Ahead of the event, she trained in New York, and was coached by Eric Barenshee, who had trained the winner of the first 1927 marathon, Ernst Vierkoetter. Although expectations were high, on 29 August 1928, only one of the European women completed the race; Hudson had to be helped out of the water close to the finish line.

Post-aquatics career Following the Toronto swimming marathon, Hudson stayed in Canada for six years, working as a swimming and diving coach, and as a freelance journalist. In 1933, she started writing a series of articles on "How to Swim and Dive", which were published in the Edmonton Journal.

During World War II, Hudson wrote to her contacts in Canada from London, and her updates were covered periodically by Myrtle Cook in her "In the Women's Sportlight" column in The Montreal Star. During the London blitz, Hudson was forced to leave her home twice due to bombing, and she survived rocket blasts in 1944. In January 1942, Hudson wrote to Cook about meeting the Queen, who remembered her 1926 diving exhibition at the Royal Automobile Club. Later that year, Hudson said that she and other women were learning to shoot, handle guns, and do jujitsu. They were taught by Canadian military officers, as part of the British Women's Home Defence movement, started by Dr Edith Summerskill, MP. Hudson volunteered for the Red Cross in her spare time, Every Saturday for year, Harris had traveled from Oxford to London to train with Millie Hudson. Four years later, Hudson was the only female sports writer from Britain to cover the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.

In 1949, Hudson became the first female member of the Sports Writers' Association, She remained the Sports Writers' Association's only female member until 1955. She told reporters that it was "terribly cold" and that Wild had to be taken out of the water against her will.