Alice Bridges

Alice W. Bridges (July 19, 1916 – May 5, 2011), also known by her married name Alice Roche, was an American competition swimmer, who at age 20, represented the United States at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. It first appeared that Bridges, who originally was a back-up contestant, had actually won her event. Several hours later the judges reversed their decision and gave the gold and silver to two women from the Netherlands, leaving the bronze for Bridges.

Mumford River Falls (as seen from the Alice Bridges Bridge
Alice Bridges
Personal information
Full nameAlice W. Bridges
National team United States
Born(1916-07-19)July 19, 1916
Waterville, Maine
DiedMay 5, 2011(2011-05-05) (aged 94)
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBackstroke

Bridges grew up in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. She and her twin sister learned to swim in a pond in Uxbridge, and she later trained at the Olympic pool in nearby Whitinsville, Massachusetts. When the sudden chance arose for her to participate, townspeople raised funds to pay for her travel to Berlin, which she otherwise could not have afforded.

Alice Bridges Bridge
1936 Olympic Swimmer, Alice Bridge's, "Sign", on Mumford River Bridge, with Colonel Seth Read's 1777 Grist Mill in Background, downtown Uxbridge, Massachusetts

In 2008, the State of Massachusetts, and local officials named the downtown Mumford River bridge in Uxbridge, in Bridges' honor, in her 92nd year.[1] Until her death, she resided in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

See also

References
  1. Town honors its 1936 Olympian - Bonnie Adams, Telegram.com, 12 October 2008
  • Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Alice Bridges". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
  • Alice Bridges' obituary
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