Doris Strachan


Doris Louisa Aikenhead was a New Zealand track and field athlete who represented her country at the 1938 British Empire Games.

Early life and family

Born Doris Louisa Strachan in Timaru on 13 January 1917, Aikenhead was the daughter of Julia McInnes Strachan and James Dunn Strachan. She went on to marry Andrew Aikenhead.

Athletics

At an athletics meeting at Temuka on 30 November 1935, Strachan broke the New Zealand national women's long jump record, recording a distance of.
At the trials held in Wellington in December 1937 for the New Zealand team to travel to the 1938 British Empire Games, Strachan's winning distance in the long jump was, and she was duly selected for the team. At the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney, she was eliminated in the heats of the women's 100 yards and 220 yards sprints, and finished sixth in the women's long jump with a best leap of. She was also a member of the New Zealand trio that finished fourth in the women's 440 yards relay.

Death

Aikenhead died on 12 November 1974, and she was buried at Oamaru Lawn Cemetery.