Background

Early in the morning of July 11, 1928, Fanny Rosenfeld, Jean Thompson, Myrtle Cook, Florence Jane Bell, Ethel Smith and Ethel Catherwood left Montreal, Quebec, for Amsterdam. However, the six weren't just embarking on a week-long transatlantic voyage; They were on the verge of becoming pioneers in the Olympic journey for female athletes.

The 1928 Amsterdam Games made history as it was the first time women were allowed to participate in athletics and gymnastics at the Olympic Games. Before that, there was a deep-rooted idea that women lacked the stamina and strength to compete in athletics. This change brought the number of female athletes to 277, or 10 percent of the competitors.

There were five track and field events for women: 4×100 relay, 100m, 800m, high jump and discus. Together, these six pioneering women would represent Canada in all of these events.

It is no exaggeration to say that all six were versatile athletes. Rosenfeld, nicknamed “Bobbie,” was scheduled to compete in the 100m and 4x100m relays, but she also excelled in softball, basketball and hockey. Three years earlier, she had won five events at the 1925 Ontario Women's Track and Field Championships. Cook, who was scheduled to compete in two events, excelled in many sports including tennis, bowling and cycling. Bell, for her part, was a Canadian champion in the 60-yard hurdles, javelin throw and baseball. Catherwood won the high jump and javelin throw at the 1927 Canadian AAU Championships.

The six men, along with a swimmer, were also pioneers in another sense. Before Amsterdam, Canada had never sent female athletes to the Summer Olympics, although several events were open to women in previous editions of the Olympics.