Hilda May Binns (née Torok, later Longmate; October 20, 1945 – August 4, 2022 [1]) was a Canadian Paralympic athlete who competed in athletics and swimming events.[2][3]

Hilda Binns
Personal information
Born(1945-10-20)20 October 1945
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
DiedAugust 4, 2022(2022-08-04) (aged 76)
Sport
CountryCanada
SportSwimming
Medal record
Athletics
Representing  Canada
Summer Paralympics
Silver medal – second place 1972 Heidelberg Women's 60m wheelchair 3
Silver medal – second place 1972 Heidelberg Women's slalom 3
Bronze medal – third place 1972 Heidelberg Women's pentathlon 3
Gold medal – first place 1968 Tel Aviv Women's 25m freestyle class 2 incomplete
Gold medal – first place 1968 Tel Aviv Women's novices 60m wheelchair dash B

Biography

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Binns was born in Hamilton, Ontario In 1945 and contracted polio in 1955.[4] Her father built her an exercise bike to help her rehabilitation.[5]

Binns won two gold medals at the 1968 Summer Paralympics, held in Tel Aviv.[6]

She was a founder of Steel City Wheelers, and involved with the Hamilton Post Polio Association and the Hamilton Handicapped Club.[7]

Hilda May Torok married fellow polio survivor and athlete David Binns by 1973.[5]

Honors

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She was inducted into the Hamilton Gallery of Distinction in 2018,[7] and into the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.[8] On 14 May 2021, Jovian asteroid 28958 Binns, discovered by astronomers with the LINEAR program in 2001, was named in her honor.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Hilda Binns Longmate Obituary (1945 - 2022) - Dundas, ON - the Hamilton Spectator". Legacy.com.
  2. ^ "Binns, Hilda May". HPL. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Opinion | Scott Radley: How a falling-off bathing suit led to a spot in the hall of fame". The Hamilton Spectator. 16 October 2019. ISSN 1189-9417. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Binns, Hilda May (1945–)". Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Wheelers Spin Gold". Times Colonist. 7 July 1973. p. 25. Retrieved 22 July 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Hilda Wins More Gold for Canada". The Vancouver Sun. 12 November 1968. p. 30. Retrieved 22 July 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b "Hilda May Binns". Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  8. ^ Urciuoli, Anthony (24 July 2019). "Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame announces class of 2019". Global News. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  9. ^ "WGSBN Bulletin Archive". Working Group Small Body Nomenclature. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021. (Bulletin #1)