Norma Williams
{{short description|New Zealand swimmer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Norma Williams
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MBE|size=100%}}
| image =
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| birth_name = Norma Mary Bridson
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|12|11|df=y}}
| birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2017|10|03|1928|12|11|df=y}}
| death_place = Auckland, New Zealand
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| spouse = {{marriage| Clifford Ruscoe Ashe Williams|1952}}
| module =
| country = New Zealand
| sport = Swimming
| module2 =
| nationals = 100 yards butterfly champion (1949, 1950, 1951)
400 yards medley champion (1948, 1949, 1950)
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| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's Swimming}}
{{MedalCountry | {{NZL}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|British Empire Games}}
{{MedalSilver| 1950 Auckland | 4 x 110 yards Freestyle Relay}}
| show-medals = yes
}}
Norma Mary Williams {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MBE|size=85%}} (née Bridson, 11 December 1928 – 3 October 2017) was a New Zealand swimmer, swimming administrator and author, who represented her country at the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland.
Biography
Born in Auckland in 1928, Williams was educated at Takapuna Grammar School.{{cite book |editor-last=Taylor |editor-first=Alister |title=New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa 2001 |year=2001 |publisher=Alister Taylor Publishers |location=Auckland |issn=1172-9813}}
At the 1950 British Empire Games she won the silver medal as part of the women's 440 yard freestyle relay. Her teammates in the relay were Winifred Griffin, Joan Hastings and Kristin Jacobi. She also competed in the 110 yards freestyle event, finishing in fifth place.{{cite web |url=https://olympic.org.nz/athletes/norma-williams |title=Norma Williams |year=2013 |publisher=New Zealand Olympic Committee |access-date=14 June 2015}}
Williams won six national swimming titles: the 400 yards women's medley in 1948, 1949 and 1950; and the 100 yards women's butterfly in 1949, 1950 and 1951.{{cite book |url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/swimming-national-championships | chapter=Swimming – national championships |title=An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand |year=1966 |editor1-last=McLintock | editor-first=A.H. |publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage |access-date=14 June 2015}}
She married Clifford Ruscoe Ashe Williams in 1952 and the couple had three children. She was a chaperone with the New Zealand team at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, and was appointed as a national swimming selector in 1978. She also served as the president of the Auckland Amateur Sports Association.
Williams' book, Between the Lanes, which chronicles the development of competitive swimming in New Zealand, was published in 1996.{{cite web |url=http://search.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/?itemid={{pipe}}library/marc/supercity-iii{{pipe}}b1280941 |title=Catalogue search: Between the lanes |publisher=Auckland Libraries |access-date=14 June 2015}} She also wrote histories to mark the centennials of the New Zealand Swimming Federation in 1990 and the Auckland Swimming Association in 2006.{{cite web |url=http://search.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/?q=author:%22Williams,%20Norma,%201928-%22&refx=&uilang=en |title=Catalogue search: Norma Williams |publisher=Auckland Libraries |access-date=14 June 2015}}
In the 1977 New Year Honours, Williams was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to swimming.{{London Gazette |issue=47104 |date=31 December 1976 |page=43 |supp=3}}
Williams died on 3 October 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search/search?path=%2FqueryEntry.m%3Ftype%3Ddeaths |title=Death search: registration number 2017/27949 |website=Births, deaths & marriages online |publisher=Department of Internal Affairs |access-date=9 October 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://auckland.swimming.org.nz/article.php?group_id=867 |title=Norma Williams 1928–2017 |publisher=Swimming Auckland |access-date=9 October 2017 |first=David |last=Wright}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{1950 New Zealand British Empire Games team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Norma}}
Category:People educated at Takapuna Grammar School
Category:New Zealand female swimmers
Category:Swimmers at the 1950 British Empire Games
Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand
Category:New Zealand sports executives and administrators
Category:New Zealand sportswriters
Category:New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming
Category:Swimmers from Auckland
Category:Medallists at the 1950 British Empire Games