Shirley Eckel took up track athletics in her youth and was already gaining attention for her talents as a teenager. In the trials for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, she set a Canadian national record in the 80 metres hurdles and, in doing so, was selected to represent her country at those Games. Upon arriving overseas, however, she suffered an injury and was unable to take part in the events into which she was entered: the 80 metres hurdles and the 4x100 metres relay. Nonetheless, later that year, she received the Norman Craig Memorial Trophy as the country’s most outstanding woman athlete. In 1953, she set another record, this time in the 90 yard hurdles, and the following year was selected for the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. There, she was fifth in the finals of the 80 metres hurdles. Eckel attended school at the University of Toronto.
Canada