It’s been 60 years since New Zealand’s Olympic golden girl Yvette Williams was our first woman to take home a gold medal, winning the long jump at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952. Two years later, when she won three more golds for long jump, discus and shot put at the Vancouver British Empire and Commonwealth Games, New Zealand Woman’s Weekly celebrated Yvette’s sporting achievements with a special photoshoot.
In the accompanying article, Yvette (now Corlett) was described as a “very modest and likeable young woman”, and we are happy to report her kind nature hasn’t changed. After welcoming us once again into the home she shares with her husband Buddy Corlett (90), Yvette (83) speaks of how times have changed since her rise to stardom in athletics.
Yvette, who grew up in Dunedin, felt it necessary to retire from sport after she married Buddy – something a young woman would never consider today. The industry surrounding competitive sport these days is also wildly different. “I had to work – there was no sponsorship or promotions. Today they have money to travel and are always competing overseas.”
Yvette recalls how hard she had to train in the past to make it to the Olympics. “I did train three to four hours a day, but there were no gyms as there are today. There were no special diets, no physios or doctors travelling with you.” Yvette returned to Helsinki for the 50th anniversary of the games to relive her Olympic glory with other international athletes.
She believes she partly inherited her long-jumping ability from her mother who was a talented highland dancer, noted for her elevation. Plus Yvette used to love jumping over her grandfather’s gardens when she was a young girl. “He had perfectly manicured edges and didn’t want me to touch the sides, so I learned to jump a long way.”
Her personal life has also brought Yvette happiness. She has four children and five grandchildren, and Yvette and Buddy still live in their own home in Howick, with the daughter-in-law. Unfortunately, Yvette has struggled with ill health in recent years. She had heart surgery 18 years ago and brain surgery four years ago, which resulted in a three-month hospital stay and left her with weakness down her right side.
Taking comfort in what her body could achieve in the past, Yvette looks back on being the first Kiwi woman to bring home an Olympic gold as the high point in her life. She’s kept a scrapbook of clippings – including her wedding, which was front page news, and reports of her meeting the Queen. Yvette wants to encourage other promising athletes to follow their dreams. “If they have the talent they should persevere – practice and passion are the keys.”
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