Her Excellency Marjorie Jackson-Nelson AC CVO MBE (b. 1931), former sprinter, was Governor of South Australia from 2001 to 2007. The 'Lithgow Flash' won Olympic gold medals in the 100m and 200m at Helsinki in 1952, becoming the first Australian woman to win an Olympic gold medal for track and field and the first Australian to win an Olympic gold medal on the running track since 1896. Between 1950 and 1954 she won every state and Australian title for the 100 yards and 220 yards. She broke world sprint records ten times and garnered seven Commonwealth Games gold medals. Sportsman of the Year in 1952, in 1953 she was awarded an MBE for her services to athletics. Since the death from leukaemia in 1977 of her husband Peter Nelson, she has been dedicated to securing funds to sponsor research into the disease, raising over $7 million for facilities in Adelaide through the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Fellowship Research Fund. Jackson-Nelson became a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2001; she was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order by HM Queen Elizabeth II during the royal visit to Adelaide in February 2002.
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