Gertrude Phinney Young Beattie- 1932
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989
Gertrude Phinney Young Beattie was born in Lawrencetown, Annapolis County, but received much of her early education in Wolfville. Following high school graduation, she enrolled at Dalhousie University where she became a member of the Dal basketball squad, a Maritime championship team that played for the Canadian title.
In 1929, Gertrude transferred to Acadia where she continued to star in varsity basketball, playing on the ’30, ’31, and ’32 Intercollegiate championship teams. For three years she was also a key member of the university’s gymnastics club and an outstanding performer on the varsity tennis team.
During the late ’20’s, Gertrude was recognized as a Canadian track star while establishing -between ’27 to ’29- three national records.
She competed in a Maritime track and field meet against Saint John where she won medals in the 50, 100 and 220 yard dashes, as well as in the standing and running broad jumps. In 1928, in Saint John, she again was the individual standout, winning the High Aggregate and Halifax Chronicle Trophy for the second time.
In the same year at the Olympic trials in Halifax, she won gold in the 220 yard dash and placed second in the 60 and 100 yard dashes behind the legendary Myrtle Cook. The following year in Montreal, she placed first in Canada in the running broad jump.
In a three-year span she won 49 medals or cups, while establishing Canadian records in the indoor 50 and 220 yard dashes and outdoor 60 yard event. Her 50 yard indoor record was considered of world calibre.
In most recent times, Gertrude has been inducted into the Nova Scotia Heritage Centre’s Hall of Fame, the King’s County Sports Hall of Fame, mentioned in such literary publications as Bob Ferguson’s Who’s Who in Canadian Sports and Dr. Sandy Young’s Beyond Heroes and presented with the prestigious “Dalhousie Award” for major contributions in Nova Scotia sports.
What an honour it is to welcome for induction to Acadia’s Sports Hall of Fame the nationally-acclaimed Gertrude Phinney Young Beattie.
