Swimmer Makes Olympian Grandmother Proud

Seventy years after her grandmother swam in the London 1948 Olympic Games, Auckland swimmer Gina Galloway, 17, took up the torch to represent her country at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympics, and in the same discipline.

“I think she’s pretty proud,” Galloway said of her grandmother Ngaire Lane, who turns 93 at the end of October.

Lane was the only woman on New Zealand’s seven-member Olympic team in 1948. After a six-week boat trip to London, she competed in the women’s 100m backstroke, finishing 11th overall. And now Lane is New Zealand’s oldest living Olympian.

Backstroke is also Galloway’s speciality. She swam in five events in Buenos Aires, namely 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke, 100m butterfly and mixed 4x100m freestyle relay.

“I remember listening to all her stories from all her travels, the friends she’s made, the experiences she’s gained from swimming,” Galloway said of her grandmother. “It came naturally, my love of swimming, and the shared bond we have over swimming and the love of the sport. It’s really motivated me to continue to swim to this day.”

Original article by Xinhua, October 13, 2018.