Thelma R Payne was an American diver won the bronze medal in the 3 meter springboard at the 1920 Summer Olympics.
20 Facts About Thelma Payne
2.
Thelma Payne was born in Salem, Oregon on July 18,1896.
3.
Thelma Payne lived in Portland, Oregon with her three daughters and was employed as a real estate stenographer.
4.
Bertha Thelma Payne was a member of a women's basketball club that played in Oregon and California.
5.
Thelma Payne was listed working as a switchboard operator in 1911 at the age of 15.
6.
Thelma Payne initially entered a plea of not guilty, but eventually paid a $15 fine.
7.
Thelma Payne first joined the swimming and diving team at the Multnomah Athletic Club in 1915.
8.
In 1916, The Oregonian wrote that Thelma Payne was "one of the Multnomah Athletic Club's best swimmers and divers".
9.
Around that time, Thelma Payne broke her nose and jaw while diving at the Multnomah Athletic Club.
10.
Thelma Payne lost half of her upper teeth and required 16 stitches under her chin.
11.
Thelma Payne claimed that the five pre-arranged judges for the qualifying matches failed to appear, so the USOC used substitute judges.
12.
Thelma Payne accused the replacement judges of unfairly favoring the New York diver.
13.
Thelma Payne had to take a leave of absence from her work as the chief telephone switchboard operator for the City of Portland to compete in the 1920 Olympics.
14.
Thelma Payne was introduced to swimming at the YWCA by instructor Millie Schloth and later witnessed a diving performance by Constance Meyer, which sparked her interest in the sport.
15.
Thelma Payne trained to dive at the Multnomah Athletic Club under instructor Jack Cody.
16.
In 1922, Thelma Payne was hired by the Windemuth Bath House on Ross Island to instruct their swimming and diving courses.
17.
Thelma Payne used Jantzen Swimwear and was mentioned by name in company advertisements following her Olympic bronze medal victory.
18.
In 1926, Thelma Payne moved from Oregon to California, where she worked as a swimming instructor at the Breakers Beach Club in Santa Monica, the Jonathan Club, the Hollywood Athletic Club, and the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
19.
Thelma Payne trained swimmer Bowen Stassforth, who won a silver medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics, to overcome his fear of water.
20.
Thelma Payne trained 1951 Pan American Games multi-gold medalist Sharon Geary, who went to the 1952 Summer Olympics as an alternate competitor for the United States.