Irene Haworth - Lacy
Gymnastics (1997)

Irene Haworth lacy got her beginnings with the Saskatoon Marian Gymnastics Club and blossomed into a star who represented Canada at international competition and earned an American college scholarship.

Irene was born in Nipawin and began her gymnastics with the Marians in 1960. She won medals in Saskatchewan and Manitoba meets and was first in three Western Canada events, two in 1960 and one in 1961, and runner-up in the junior all-round in 1962 and runner-up in senior all-round in 1963.

At the Canadian championships, she was fifth among seniors in 1963, second in 1964, second in 196 and first in 1966.

Irene represented Canada at the world championships in Czechoslovakia in 1962, at the North American championships in 1964, and at the World Games in Dortmund, Germany in 1966. She was named to the Pan-American Games team in 1963, winning silver on the balance beam and in the team event. She also qualified for Canada’s team at the 1964 Olympics in Japan but the Olympic committee later reduced the women’s team to one member because of financial pressures.

At Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Irene was on a team which went unbeaten in three years, winning the AAU, United States Gymnastics Federation and National Collegiate titles each year. She was named to the All-American team three times, won the Sports Illustrated Award of Merit and the John F. Kennedy Award of Merit in 1966 and was inducted into the Southern Illinois Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.