Ethel Catherwood
Toronto Daily Star, August 9 1928
Ethel Catherwood (1908-1987) set a world record for women's high jump in 1926 that was not broken for twenty years. In the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, the first to allow women to compete in track and field, she won the high jump gold medal. Nicknamed the Saskatoon Lily, she was the most sought-after athlete at the games.
She returned home to a hero's welcome in Saskatoon, but later became a source of controversy when it was discovered that she had been secretly married and that she was leaving her husband for another man. Tired of being hounded by the press, she quit athletics and turned down an offer from Hollywood.
She moved to California and then was divorced in 1960 on the grounds of adultery and extreme cruelty. She became a recluse, isolating herself from her family, refusing all interviews, avoiding hall of fame ceremonies, and giving away her athletic medals and awards. When she passed away in California in 1987, it was eight months before the press noticed it.
There are a number of articles on Ms. Catherwood on the Internet, including this National Post article, this Saskatoon Star-Phoenix article, and this CBC video clip.
Created November 7, 2025.