England-born Nancy MacKay moved to Canada when she was four years old and took up track and field athletics in the 1930s. Between 1936 and 1941 she won six titles at the Canadian Championships and was selected to represent Canada at the 1940 Summer Olympics, but was unable to attend once those Games were cancelled due to World War II. She returned to active competition shortly before the conclusion of the conflict, capturing three titles at the United States AAU Championships from 1944 through 1947 (including the 4x110 yards in 1946), and was selected to represent Canada at the 1948 Summer Olympics as an alternate. At the Games, however, the Canadians gave Millie Cheater’s spot on 4x100 metre relay team to MacKay the day before the race. Mackay made the most of it and earned a bronze medal after running the fastest leg of her squad, which consisted of Diane Foster, Pat Jones, and Viola Myers. She retired from active competition after the Olympics and was inducted into the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Athletics Ontario Hall of Fame in 2011.
Personal Best: 100 – 12.6 (1948).
Canada