Louis Bruce
Louis Bruce was a British wrestler and one of the first Black London tram drivers. He competed in the men's freestyle heavyweight at the 1908 Summer Olympics, the first Black British Olympian.
Early life
Bruce was born Louis Bruce McAvoy Mortimore Doney, in Paradise Cottage in Morningside, Edinburgh in 1875, to widow Jane Elizabeth Doney. He had six older sisters. His father was not named on his birth certificate. Bruce grew up in Frogmore Cottage, Plympton, Devon with his grandmother and two aunts.1908 Olympics
Bruce was a member of a number of London wrestling clubs, including the Hammersmith Amateur Wrestling Club. He was a competitor in the London Summer Olympic Games of 1908, the oldest participant in the wrestling event age 32. Bruce reached the Quarter Finals, wrestling against Alfred Banbrook and winning, then losing to Ernest Nixson in the next round. Bruce finished fifth in the heavyweight category. According to The Guardian, Bruce's listed address on 1908 Olympic wrestling documents was on Princes Road in Teddington, however, a plaque has been placed at 7 St Peter’s Grove in Hammersmith stating the address was his home during the 1908 Olympics.Prior to research undertaken in December 2021, he was recorded under the name "Lawrence Bruce". His name was correctly identified as Louis Bruce, and that he was the first Black Olympian to represent Great Britain.