Fanny Blankers-Koen.

Athlete. Francina Elaje Koen, or “Fanny,” was born in Baarn, the Netherlands, on April 26, 1918. Her father had not inherited any land and was a tenant farmer. When Fanny was five, her father moved the family to Hoofddorp, where he established a transportation business. Fanny had two older and two younger brothers. She joined a gymnastics group at the age of six; also, she swam, skated, and ran better than most of the boys in town. She joined the Amsterdam Dames’ Athletic Club at sixteen. At 5 feet 9 inches and approximately 135 pounds as an adult, she had the size to succeed as an athlete. However, in the 1930’s, few women made sports a career; home and family were the accepted goals.