Della Sehorn
Encyclopedia
Della M. Thrasher Sehorn (May 28, 1927–March 14, 2001) was a competitive breaststroke
swimmer
from the United States
who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics
in Helsinki
, Finland
.
, she grew up in Oregon City
. She began swimming at a young age at the Columbia Athletic Club in Portland. Following World War II
, she married her coach, Al Sehorn, and began to set records in her best event, the breaststroke. From 1950 to 1953, she set 18 American records in the event.
women's swimming team. Sehorn swam in the 200 meter breaststroke event, but did not qualify for the finals.
Upon her return to Portland, Sehorn was honored as the first woman to receive the Bill Hayward
Award, given to Oregon's top amateur athlete. In 1953, she set three U.S. records in a single day.
. In the 1970s, she began masters swimming
, winning several masters swimming awards.
She was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
in 1991. In 2000, she was diagnosed with lung cancer
, and died in Los Altos in 2001.
Breaststroke
The breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on his or her chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn...
swimmer
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
Early life
Born Della Thrasher in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, she grew up in Oregon City
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
. She began swimming at a young age at the Columbia Athletic Club in Portland. Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, she married her coach, Al Sehorn, and began to set records in her best event, the breaststroke. From 1950 to 1953, she set 18 American records in the event.
Olympics
In 1952, Sehorn was the oldest woman to qualify for the United States 1952 Olympic1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
women's swimming team. Sehorn swam in the 200 meter breaststroke event, but did not qualify for the finals.
Upon her return to Portland, Sehorn was honored as the first woman to receive the Bill Hayward
Bill Hayward
William Louis "Colonel Bill" Hayward was a track and field coach for the University of Oregon for 44 years, and a coach for six United States Olympics teams.-Athletic career:...
Award, given to Oregon's top amateur athlete. In 1953, she set three U.S. records in a single day.
Masters swimming and legacy
Sehorn retired from competitive swimming in 1953 to raise her three children and coach swimming in Portland, and later in Los Altos, CaliforniaLos Altos, California
Los Altos is a city at the southern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 28,976 according to the 2010 census....
. In the 1970s, she began masters swimming
Masters swimming
Masters swimming is a special class of competitive swimming for swimmers 25 years or older...
, winning several masters swimming awards.
She was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
in 1991. In 2000, she was diagnosed with lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
, and died in Los Altos in 2001.