Brenda Helser

Summary

Brenda Mersereau Helser (May 26, 1924 – March 26, 2001), later known by her married name Brenda Helser de Morelos, was an American former competition swimmer who won a gold medal in the women's 4×100-meter freestyle relay at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. A graduate of Stanford University, de Morelos grew up in Oregon where she graduated from Lincoln High School. Her swim coach was International Swimming Hall of Fame member Jack Cody. Along with fellow 1948 Olympians Suzanne Zimmerman and Nancy Merki, Helser was part of the Multnomah Athletic Club team dubbed "Cody's Kids" that from 1939 to 1948, won 58 individual national swimming titles and three national team swimming championships.[3]

Brenda Helser
Helser in 1948
Personal information
Full nameBrenda Mersereau Helser
National team United States
Born(1924-05-26)May 26, 1924
San Francisco, California, U.S.[1]
DiedMarch 26, 2001(2001-03-26) (aged 76)[2]
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubMultnomah Athletic Club,
Los Angeles Athletic Club
CoachJack Cody
Medal record
Representing the United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1948 London 4×100 m freestyle relay

After her retirement from competition swimming, Helser married the Comte de Morelos, a French nobleman, and became the Comtesse de Morelos y Guerrero.[3] She was a member of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Brenda Helser". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020.
  2. ^ "Brenda Helser's obituary". Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Schneidermann, Floyd (August 19, 1990). "Swimmers Reunited at Coach's Induction into State Sports Hall". The Oregonian.

External links edit

  • "The 1940s 'feud' between a Portland glamour girl and her California rival that enthralled the swimming world" from the Oregonian, July 22, 2017