Barbara Hannah Anita Burke (13 May 1917 – 8 August 1998) was a British track and field athlete who competed mainly in the sprints and hurdles.
She was born in Norwood, Greater London.
Burke competed for Great Britain in the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, Germany where she won the silver medal in the 4×100 metres with her team mates Eileen Hiscock, Violet Olney and Audrey Brown.
At the British Empire Games she competed for South Africa. In 1934 she was a member of the South African relay team which finished fourth in the 110-220-110 yards contest. In the 100 yards competition as well as in the 220 yards event she was eliminated in the heats. Four years later Burke won the 80 metres hurdles contest at the 1938 Games. In the 100 yards sprint she finished fourth and the 220 yards event she finished fifth.
Famous quotes containing the words barbara and/or burke:
““O mother, mother, make my bed!
O make it saft and narrow!
Since my love died for me today,
I’ll die for him tomorrow.””
—Unknown. Bonny Barbara Allan (l. 33–36)
“I came along at a time when there was a demand to give men greater visibility and opportunity. In white society they were saying, “Women can’t do it.” In black society, they were saying, “Women do too much.” It’s a diabolical situation.”
—Yvonne Braithwaite Burke (b. 1932)