A FORMER Olympic swimming hopeful from Poole has been inundated with birthday cards and Christmas presents for her 104th birthday.

Yvonne Glover, who was born in Dorset in 1916, celebrated her landmark birthday on Wednesday November 25 at her home in Arley Road.

A budding swimmer in her heyday, Yvonne competed at backstroke at county and national level and narrowly missed out on a place at the Olympics Games held in Berlin in 1936.

Elaine Glover, the wife to Yvonne’s great nephew Reverend Adrian Glover, who leads the Old Catholic Apostolic Church in Upton, says that Yvonne and her family have a very close connection to the area, having spent her whole life in Dorset.

She said: “She was a pioneer in her own right.

"Yvonne was once a hydrographer at Poole Harbour Commissioner, which was a big thing at the time, and even has a buoy in the Harbour named after her, which is called Glovers Buoy.

“She has also given many talks about her work for the Poole Harbour Commission and was a member of a ramblers’ club called Broadstone Go Ahead Ladies Club.

"She is just an amazing person."

At the age of 16, Yvonne Glover became the first Poole swimmer to compete at national level when she became England 100-meter backstroke champion in 1932.

A report recovered from the gala gave Yvonne as the winner of the 100 yard open freestyle in a time of one min 24 seconds, with fellow Dorset swimmer Olive Wadham, née Joynes, coming second.

Yvonne, along with Olive Wadham, was a member of the Bournemouth Swimming Club and was an integral member of the Bournemouth team which became back-to-back ASA national medley relay champions in 1936 and 1937.

She then joined Poole Swimming Club after her family moved from Bournemouth to Blair Avenue.

Along with her many cards she received on her special day, Yvonne was given a handmade card from the residents of Arley Road with personalised messages written from each household on the road.

Elaine added: “Over the last few years, we have had a small gathering of family members at Mirimar Hotel and other hotels in the area to celebrate her birthday.

"This year she has been quite isolated as she had to stay at home because of her age. That is what made the card from her neighbours even more special.

"It is a shame with Covid because we would have loved to have been with her but it is lovely to know her neighbours are thinking of her."