Maggie Kelly, a housing officer for Nottingham Community Housing Association, was the guest of Her Majesty the Queen on Wednesday night when she joined other Olympians at Buckingham Palace.

The event was to celebrate the centenary of the British Olympic Association, and everyone who has won an Olympic medal was invited to attend. Maggie swam for Great Britain in the 1980 Olympics when she bettered world record time in the breaststroke leg in the final. “I remember the swim so well” says Maggie “I still remember turning at the end of my first length and feeling the splash of the water.” Unfortunately the team were beaten into second place by the East Germans who, later investigations revealed, were given testosterone between the heats and final. There were campaigns to have their records purged and the medals re-awarded but the International Olympic Committee decided otherwise.

Moscow was Maggie’s second Olympics and at 23 she was the most experienced of the team having won silver and two bronzes at the Edmonton Commonwealth Games in 1978. Her achievements were recognised with an MBE and she still swims today, and still wins today, with a world title in the Masters Series last year at the age of 48.

Maggie was also responsible last year for an initiative by Nottingham Community Housing Association which gave free leisure passes to all children of NCHA tenants. The card allows access and discounts on all sorts of sporting activities including School Holiday Activity Courses at various venues throughout the city. With the Olympic Games very much in the news last summer, Maggie said she hoped they would inspire and motivate the NCHA kids to get fit and with the cards being valid for 3 years, perhaps even set their sights on the 2012 Olympics!