Long jump Olympian Lorna Lee reunited with treasured Wycombe High School trophy

Lorna Lee, 89, became the All England School Champion in long jump as a 16-year-old – just a year before competing in the 1948 London Olympics – while she was studying at Wycombe High School.

For the first time ever, the women’s long jump event was part of the track and field athletics programme in 1948.

The pensioner, who now lives in Cardiff, likes to spend her days reminiscing about her “happy days” at Wycombe High and especially winning the All England Championship, with a jump of 18ft, 2¾ inches (5.56m).

Lorna had not seen her All England School Champion cup since she won it 73 years ago and stepdaughter Janette Bourne helped to reunite her with the trophy.

She said: “Ever since my dad died, Lorna absolutely loves to reminisce about her schooldays, and especially winning the championship cup.

“So, we knew it would mean the world to her if she could be reunited with the trophy after all this time.”

After rummaging through boxes and cupboards throughout the school, Wycombe High’s alumni manager, Antonia Ashwin, found the trophy, and sent it to Wales for a surprise reunion.

Antonia said: “When we got the email request, we thought it would be a real long shot to find the cup but eventually, there it was, tucked away at the back of the cupboard.”

Lorna was close to tears when she was finally presented her treasured cup, saying: “I can’t believe I’ve got it back after all these years.

“I never realised I was good enough to be able to be like that.

“Oh, it’s beautiful.”

Wycombe High head teacher Sharon Cromie said: “It is such a joyful story.

“An Olympian at the age of just 17, Lorna is the epitome of a Wycombe High Student, a young woman who achieved so much at such a young age.

“And all the more incredible when you think that 1948 was the first year that the Olympic women’s long jump competition took place. Before then it was not seen as feminine.”

Speaking about her athletics journey in 2012 in the national press, she said she had never done a long jump until the age of 16 when the gym mistress at Wycombe High asked her to “have a go”.

She added: “I ran up, took a jump and cleared the pit completely – the next year I was chosen to compete at The Games.

“When I opened the letter telling me, I froze. I couldn’t believe it, it was such a great honour.

“I was the baby of the athletics team: just a fortnight over my 17th birthday when the Games took place.”

Lorna’s story will also feature on ITV London tonight at 6pm.