MBE for Wellingborough-born Anita Neil as Britain's first black female Olympian honoured

Anita Neil was barely 16 when she made her Great Britain debut, competing in the long jump, and she went on to be a medal-winning sprinter at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships and competed at two Olympic Games.

It took decades for Anita, now 74, to be confirmed officially by the British Olympic Association (BOA) as Britain's first black female Olympian and now she has received another royal recognition.

Anita, said: “I’m ecstatic. When I found out, I jumped for joy. This recognition has been a long time coming and I’m just so grateful to everyone who nominated me.”

The athletics prodigy represented Great Britain at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico at the age of 18 in the 100m and the 4x100m relay and went on to compete in the Munich games in 1972.

Her achievements were all the more incredible in that by day she worked as a machinist in a clothing factory, had no financial backing and trained in her spare time with no club. Money pressures led to the premature end to her glittering career.

But the gran-of-three fought for recognition of her achievement as a pioneer and acknowledgement that she was Britain's first black female Olympian.

Anita thought the letter from the Cabinet Office may have been a ‘joke’.

She said: “The letter came to my cousin’s house by mistake. The envelope said on His Majesty’s Service so I knew it was important. When I opened it I thought perhaps it was a joke.”

Anita added: “A lot of my athletics friends received awards a long time ago. It’s wonderful that I have been recognised. It’s been many, many years and it’s the best medal that I have been awarded. I don’t know how I’m going to celebrate – it’s overwhelming.”

The Anita Neil story

Growing up as the middle child in a loving home in Dale Street with two brothers and two sisters, Anita's talent for running was first spotted at a school sports day at Bassett's Park.

She recalled her first race when the starting pistol went off and she started running. Halfway down the track she wondered where everyone else was.

Years later she said: “I stopped and turned round and they were way down the track but one person got ahead. That was the last time I came second in any school race. I learnt a lesson from that and came first in all the others.”

From Avenue Infants to Freeman's Endowed School, the young Anita competed at county schools level until she moved up to John Lea Secondary School.

At the All England Schools' meet in 1965 she met Mary Rand, a track and field superstar who had just won gold at the Tokyo Olympics and Anita was inspired to train harder.

After leaving school she carried on training and worked 36 hours a week in the Ideal Clothes factory.

All the hard work paid off and at the age of 16, she was selected to compete for Great Britain in Lille, France as a replacement for her hero Mary Rand because she was injured.

Anita's sprint times meant she also qualified for the 100m relay.

In 1968, Anita was part of a world record winning 4x 110 yards relay team and attended a reception at Buckingham Palace with her teammates.

Her dream came true when she received a letter saying she had been selected for the Olympics in the 100m and the 4x100m relay - she wasn't allowed to do the long jump in case she injured herself.

Anita made it to the quarter finals in the 100m and her relay team came fifth in the final.

In 1969, it was Anita's turn to stand on the podium in the European Championships in Athens, not once but twice where she won a bronze in the 4x100m relay and another bronze in the blue riband event - the 100m.

The following year took her to Edinburgh and the Commonwealth Games. Her relay team made it to the final and the podium again but were pipped to the gold by Australia.

Anita was selected once again to represent Great Britain at the 1972 Munich Olympics but by the Montreal Olympics her track career had floundered. Her coach was unable to carry on helping her train and she couldn’t afford equipment or to cover travel costs. Disillusioned she gave up her dream.

Anita is now retired, using her time for walking and charity work. She spends time with her daughter Charlotte and grandchildren Katelyn, Cara and Kye.