Allison Calder

Dunedin schoolgirl Allison Calder was only 13 when she competed in the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games.

Calder, born in 1960, was one of swim coach Duncan Laing’s stable, and was soon

recording sensational times for someone so young. She initially thrived on the environment of Laing’s squad which at the time also included other Games swimmers Heather Coombridge, John McConnochie and Brett Naylor. She was a dedicated trainer and was predicted to have a bright future in swimming.

Calder swam in three freestyle events in Christchurch, but even though she swam well, she was overshadowed by the heroics of Jaynie Parkhouse in the same freestyle events.

In the 200m, Calder struck Australian sensation Jenny Turrall in her heat. Turrall won in 2min 09.15s. Calder hung on well to record 2min 11.51s, which placed her 9th – she just missed a spot in the final.

Calder was 5th in her 400m heat in 4min 36.43s, and 11th overall – another near miss on making the final.

The 800m was won by Parkhouse after a fantastic battle with three great Australian youngsters. Naturally the gold medal of a home-town swimmer claimed all the attention, but Calder, who’d qualified 6th, grabbed 6th spot in the final, with a time of 9min 19.19s. In her heat she’d swum 9min 14.59s.

In the famous photo of Parkhouse at the end of her gold medal swim, Calder is in the next lane, coming across to congratulate her team-mate.

Parkhouse, Calder, Suzanne Kennedy and Susan Hunter formed the New Zealand 4 x 100m freestyle relay team, and were 5th. Canada stunned the Australians to win the gold. No-one would have noticed at the time, but representing Fiji in that relay was a 13-year-old girl, Rebecca Perrott, who’d go on to do great things in coming years representing New Zealand.

At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Calder, just turned 16, swam in the 400m and 800m freestyle events.

In the 400m, in which Perrott, now in New Zealand colours, was the fastest qualifier, Calder was 4th in her heat. Her time of 4min 23.64s placed her 15th overall, and well off making the final.

The Dunedin teenager was closer in the 800m, when her time of 2min 05.05s was 11th quickest overall, and she again missed the final.

Calder won four New Zealand freestyle titles, the 200m in 1974, the 400m in 1975, and the 800m in 1975 and 1976. She is sandwiched on all three lists between two greats, Parkhouse and Perrott.

She lost her motivation after the 1976 Olympics and the North American swim tour that followed, and drifted out of swimming. Calder married an Australian motor racing mechanic and settled in Australia. When her husband died some years later, she returned to New Zealand with their two children, settling in Christchurch.

Tragically Allison Calder died in her sleep in Christchurch in 2002, aged just 42. The coroner could give no cause of death.