How people from the Chesham area have been involved in the Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games were first held in Athens in 1896 and were the brainchild of Baron Pierre de Coubertin. Fourteen nations participated in 43 events and Great Britain has entered a team in every Olympic Games that has been held since. The Olympic Games for 2024 are due to commence in Paris on July 26th, but has anyone connected with Chesham or the surrounding villages ever been involved?
Arthur Tree
In May 1912, an athlete from the Cestreham Cycling & Athletic Club of Chesham had an Olympic trial for the 800 metres. This was Arthur J Tree (born in Chesham in 1889) who won his heat at the AAA trials at Stamford Bridge but did not feature in the first four to cross the line in the final of the trials.
Arthur Tree was, however, probably the most outstanding athlete Chesham has ever produced. Holder of the AAA Championship Standard Time Medal for 800 yards, he was also the holder of the Berks, Bucks & Oxon 1,000 yards championship 1911, 1912 and 1913 – and 1 mile championship for the Bucks & West Middlesex District in 1912, 1913 and 1914.
John Emrys Lloyd OBE
Around 1948, the Rector of Latimer & Flaunden was a Welshman named Thomas Davies Lloyd. He had a son named John who represented Great Britain at no less than four consecutive Olympic Games in 1932 (Los Angeles), 1936 (Berlin), 1948 (London) and 1952 (Helsinki) in both team and individual events for the Foil and the Sabre.
In the 1932 Olympics John achieved the unique feat of representing Britain in both fencing and rowing. He was noticed by the captain of the Rowing Eight and found himself signed up as reserve cox. He was also unique in having been both a competitor and a member of the organising Committee at the 1948 Games in London. He carried the British flag at the opening ceremony at Wembley. In 1932, he came fifth in the foil and in 1948 he narrowly missed out on a bronze medal.
Maurice Rance
Maurice was born in Chesham in 1926 and whilst still a teenager, excelled as a cross country runner.
In 1947 he joined the re-formed Cestreham Cycling & Athletics Club and in spring 1948 he won both the 440 yards and the 880 yards races held as part of an Inter-Club Invitational Athletics Meeting.
A short time later he was delighted to receive a letter from Lord Burleigh inviting him to take part in the Olympic Torch Relay. The runners were chosen from clubs affiliated with the County Amateur Athletic Association, one runner per club being the general rule.
The route was from Dover to Wembley and Maurice was allocated the stretch from Littlewick Green to Knowl Hill near Maidenhead.
To his great delight, all the runners participating in the Relay were allowed to keep their torches and Maurice kept his displayed in the sitting room of his home in London until he died.
Pilot Officer P T Dainty
P O Dainty was a member of the Cestreham Cycling & Athletics Club during the early 1930s. In 1934 he was Vice-Captain of the Running Section but in 1935 he moved out of the area and joined the Southend Athletics Club instead. It was whilst with Southend that he was called for an Olympic trial in 1948 but was not selected for the Olympic squad.
Stewart Farquharson
Stewart was born in 1940 and lived in Chesham Bois. He represented Great Britain in the Rome Olympics of 1960 rowing in the Coxed Pairs with Jeff Reeves, the Cox being 14 year old Kenneth Lester. They finished 5th out of 6 boats in their heat.
He was slightly more successful in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo when he and Lee Nicholson came 4th in the final of the Coxless Pairs, competing against teams from the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Finland and Denmark.
Elaine Hird
Selection was decided by competing in no less than four Olympic trials but unfortunately Elaine and her horse Rhonnda do not appear to have been one of the successful participants.
Tim Stockdale
Born in 1964 and originally from Nottinghamshire, show jumper Tim had a yard in Lye Green where he kept his horses for several years before moving to Roade in Northamptonshire.
He trialled for the Olympics in 1996 (Atlanta), 2000 (Sydney), 2004 (Athens) and 2008 (Beijing). He did not make the Show Jumping Team in 1996, 2000 or 2004 but qualified in 2008 and went to Beijing along with his horse Corlato.
In the team event, the British team finished in 6th place and in the individual event, Tim was the best of the British riders, finishing 16th. He was one of only nine riders who had clears in the 1st round but was unable to repeat this in round two.
Jenny Rees
Jenny, who lives in Chesham, was not a competitor, but a volunteer in London for the 2012 Olympic Games.
She volunteered because she wanted to be a part of such an historic occasion, and worked as a driver based at the Olympic Park driving officials and athletes to wherever they needed to be.
Every morning she caught the 4 am train from Berkhamsted before picking up her car and driving such athletes as Greg Rutherford and Dame Tanni Grey Thompson.
Jenny also attended the rehearsal for the Opening Ceremony and participated in the Games Maker Choir singing Christmas Carols at Westfield the following December.
I hope you enjoyed the 2024 Olympic Games whatever disciplines you follow, and my grateful thanks go to Keith Fletcher, Anne Crabbe and Vanessa Worship. Without their input, this article would not have been possible.
