Lorna Vinden
A smiling young white woman
Lorna Vinden, from a 1952 newspaper
Born
Lorna Margaret Skidmore

1931
Nanaimo, British Columbia
DiedJune 9, 2008
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Other namesLorna Anderson (after second marriage)
Known forParalympian, wheelchair athlete

Lorna Vinden Anderson (1931 – June 9, 2008), born Lorna Margaret Skidmore, was a Canadian wheelchair athlete, competing in pentathlon, track and field, archery, and swimming events at the 1967 and 1969 Wheelchair Pan American Games, and the 1968 Paralympics in Tel Aviv.

Early life

Lorna Margaret Skidmore was born in Nanaimo, British Columbia,[1] the daughter of Henry Hearst Skidmore and Elizabeth Margaret McDonald Skidmore. Her father was a newspaperman.[2] She was a gymnast as a girl.[3] In 1951, Vinden contracted polio, and survived with paraplegia.[4][5][6]

Career

Vinden became a wheelchair athlete in her thirties. She earned eight medals at the Wheelchair Pan American Games in Winnipeg in 1967.[3][7][8] She was a member of Canada's national team at the 1969 Wheelchair Pan American Games in Buenos Aires,[9] and at the 1968 Paralympics in Tel Aviv,[10] competing in the pentathlon, track and field, archery, and swimming events.[3] She belonged to the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association.[11] She described how everyday life was training for her: "If you live in a wheelchair you're pushing and lifting things all day. Even jumping a curb downtown while shopping is an exercise."[3]

Vinden was executive secretary of the Vancouver Island office of the Rehabilitation Foundation of British Columbia.[12] She also worked for the Public Service Commission in Victoria, finding employment for disabled workers. "Whenever I've gone job-hunting for myself, I've first scouted the building to see if I can get into it," she explained of the barriers her clients faced. "Washrooms can prove a real hurdle too." She also volunteered with the Kinsmen Rehabilitation Foundation in Vancouver, and the Lions Club Easter Seal program.[13]

Vinden was a member of the Canadian Paraplegics Association, and served on the board of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.[3]

Personal life

Lorna Skidmore married twice. Her first husband was J. Keith Vinden; they married in August 1950. Her second husband was Ian Anderson, who survived, along with her two sons, Dean and Jay,[14][15] when she died in 2008, in Nanaimo.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "Polio Victim Helps Others It Strikes". The Vancouver Sun. 1952-09-18. p. 29. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "H. H. Skidmore". The Province. 1961-05-02. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Riley, Susan (1968-10-19). "'Suddenly the Field is your World'". Times Colonist. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "City Polio Victim Shows First Sign of Full Recovery". Nanaimo Daily News. 1951-02-26. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ McKay, Louise (1951-11-10). "Young Bride Undaunted by Polio--Keeps House from her Wheelchair". The Vancouver Sun. p. 24. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Vinden, Lorna (1951-04-14). "Polio Victim Improving". Nanaimo Daily News. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Lorna 'Wheels Out" Eight Medals". Times Colonist. 1967-08-14. p. 17. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Victoria Woman Top Pan-Am Paraplegic Winner in Track". Nanaimo Daily News. 1967-08-14. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Gold, Bronze Medals for B.C. Athletes". Nanaimo Daily News. 1969-12-04. p. 18. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Canucks Impress Paralympic Hosts With Gay Attitude". Times Colonist. 1968-11-23. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Arthur Mayse..." Times Colonist. 1969-10-21. p. 11. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Strawberry Tea Aids Handicapped". Times Colonist. 1968-06-15. p. 26. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Bateson, Helen (1976-01-29). "Making a Deficit Work". The Province. p. 30. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Motherhood Triumphs Over Polio". Times Colonist. 1953-12-18. p. 21. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Wheelchair Mother Says She Can Manage Baby". The Vancouver Sun. 1953-12-23. p. 10. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Lorna Margaret Anderson". Times Colonist. 2008-06-12. p. 42. Retrieved 2021-07-22 – via Newspapers.com.
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