Ex-Team GB Olympic Medallist Passes Away at 80 After Prolonged Illness, Wife Honors ‘Gentle Giant’
The spouse of an Olympic champion and dedicated educator has honored “a proud Yorkshireman” following his untimely passing at the age of 80.
John Sherwood, a resident of Hillsborough, gained recognition in 1968 when he secured a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles at the Mexico Olympics.
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He sadly passed away after a prolonged illness at the palliative care unit of the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield on August 19.
His grieving wife, Sheila, who also earned an Olympic medal in Mexico, has shared a heartfelt tribute to her husband, noting that he always strived to do his best in every endeavor.
Sheila, who achieved a silver medal in the long jump, expressed, “He never did anything by halves.
“He approached everything with diligence, which contributed to his successful sports career and his effectiveness as a teacher.
“In 1968, we were a rarity as a couple who both won medals. We got married just six months prior to the Olympics.
“We were amateurs who juggled our training and work as teachers. At the time, John was at Intake School in Doncaster, while I was at Myers Grove.
“After winning our Olympic medals, we simply continued with our lives.”
Sheila has received numerous messages of condolence from John’s former students at Forth Park Comprehensive, where he taught for 37 years.
John, who is survived by his two adult children, retired from teaching in 2005.
The couple trained together for the Olympics and flew to Mexico shortly after their wedding.
Sheila reminisced about their training sessions at the limited facilities they had.
The cinder track at Hillsborough Park would become muddy during wet weather, forcing the couple to train on roads and inside their home.
John designed workout circuits in their house for Sheila and their friends.
Sheila recalled, “He created cards with exercises and placed them around the house for everyone to follow.
“Then he’d call out when to stop and move to the next exercise.”
She was a teacher at Myers Grove School, and the two resumed their teaching careers after their Olympic achievements.
Sheila stated, “He loved teaching and had no desire to take a desk job. He preferred to remain a PE teacher.”
The couple first met on a blind date, arranged by another renowned South Yorkshire athlete, Dorothy Hyman, who invited Sheila to join her.
Dorothy also introduced John Sherwood, leading to a lasting relationship between him and Sheila.
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