Mavis Steele
{{Short description|British lawn bowler}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor =
| name = Mavis Steele
{{nobold|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}}}}
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| nationality = British (English)
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1928|09|09}}
| birth_place = Kenton, Middlesex, England
| death_date = 1998
| death_place = Surrey, England
| sport = Lawn bowls
| club = Sunbury Sports Club BC
Egham IBC
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry|{{ENG}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Outdoor Championships}}
{{MedalSilver| 1973 Wellington|pairs}}
{{MedalSilver| 1973 Wellington|singles}}
{{MedalBronze| 1973 Wellington|team}}
{{MedalGold| 1981 Toronto|fours}}
{{MedalGold| 1981 Toronto|team}}
{{MedalBronze| 1985 Melbourne|fours}}
{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}
{{MedalBronze| 1982 Brisbane| Triples}}
}}
Mavis Mary Steele {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}} (1928-1998) was an England international lawn bowler.{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/49076|title=Athletes and Results|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation}}
Personal life
Mavis was born in Kenton, Middlesex on 9 September 1928. She was a data preparation manager by trade.{{cite book|author1=Ken Hawkes|author2=Gerard Lindley|title=Encyclopaedia of Bowls|year=1974|publisher=Robert Hale|isbn=0-7091-3658-7}}
Bowls career
In 1973 she secured a double silver at the 1973 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Wellington, New Zealand in the singles and the pairs with Phyllis Derrick. Eight years later she her finest moment came when claiming double gold in the fours with Eileen Fletcher, Betty Stubbings, Gloria Thomas and Irene Molyneux and the team event (Taylor Trophy), during the 1981 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Toronto.{{cite book|last=Newby|first=Donald|title=Daily Telegraph Bowls Yearbook 91|year=1990|publisher=Telegraph Publications|isbn=0-330-31664-8}}
Mavis was twice selected to represent England at the Commonwealth Games; the first in 1982 in Brisbane where she won a bronze medal in the triples with Norma Shaw and Betty Stubbings and the second in 1990.{{cite web|url=https://bowlstawa.nz/titles/players/titles/2539|title=Profile|publisher=Bowls Tawa}}{{cite web |url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/commonwealth/bowls.htm|title=COMMONWEALTH GAMES MEDALLISTS - BOWLS|publisher=GRB Athletics}}
She won eight outdoor National titles; the singles in 1961, 1962 and 1969, the pairs in 1964 & 1971, the triples in 1968{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004722/19680830/012/0012 |title=Bowling title for Ethel |work=Nottingham Guardian |date=30 August 1968 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=26 August 2023}} and the fours in 1963{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002134/19630831/412/0014 |title=Title for Droitwich |work=Birmingham Daily Post |date=31 August 1963 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=18 August 2023}} & 1969.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004973/19690829/014/0014 |title=Ilminster beaten |work=Western Daily Press |date=29 August 1969|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=18 August 2023}} She played for Sunbury Sports Club outdoors and the Egham club indoors.
Awards
Steele was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1983 New Year Honours for services to women's bowls.UK & Commonwealth list: {{London Gazette |issue=49212 |date=30 December 1982 |pages=16 |supp=y |nolink=yes}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steele, Mavis}}
Category:English female bowls players
Category:People from Kenton, London
Category:Sportspeople from the London Borough of Harrow
Category:Sportspeople from the London Borough of Brent
Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England
Category:Bowls players at the 1982 Commonwealth Games
Category:Bowls World Champions
Category:Medallists at the 1982 Commonwealth Games