She was one of Australia’s fastest women and went from competing at two Olympics, including carrying the (wrong) flag at one, to nurturing athletics talent on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast but Denise Boyd hasn’t really slowed down.
Now 73, Denise admits she is “full of arthritis” but a combination of coaching moving, Pilates and golf keeps her young in body and heart.
“I realise (because of the arthritis) movement hurts, but you’ve got to do it, you’ve got to keep mobile and while I don’t go for a walk, I’m on my feet a lot at the track and do Pilates at the physio once a week,” she said.
“I also play golf (at Twin Waters) once a week with a group of ladies. We only play nine holes but it’s a walk and it’s company. They’re a good bunch of girls.”
Denise competed under her maiden name of Robertson until she married champion pole vaulter Ray Boyd in December 1977 and a quick glance at their athletics achievements shows why they are such sought-after coaches at the Maroochy Athletics Club on the Sunshine Coast.
Denise won eight Commonwealth Games medals, including two gold and competed on the biggest stage, the Olympics in 1976 in Montreal, where she made the final of the 200 metres sprint. Ray competed at two Olympics (1972, ’76) and won the pole vault gold medal at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games in 1982.
Denise and Ray are fine examples of sports stars who have given – and are giving – back to their sports. They are leading coaches at the Maroochy Athletics Club on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
“We’re out there three to four days a week … Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4,30 and Sunday mornings at 10 are generally our times,” Denise said.
“In the competitive seasons, we’re at the track, of course, but from now on for a few months, we’re at the track or on the hills or on the stairs; varying the location of training and getting a bit of work in the legs.
“I had 15 in my sprint group last week and they were working really hard which was good. They are aged between 14 and 50.
“I’ve got a Masters athlete who is 50 and I’ve got a couple of girls who are 14. Most are between 20 and 30 (and they are) really nice young people.
“They’re a great group of young people and they keep us young, I think.
“Ray is involved in the coaching and coaches Cedric Dubler, the decathlete who is overseas trying to qualify for the (Glasgow) Commonwealth Games.
“Cedric has had a few injury setbacks. Ray helps him with pole vault and long jump and he’s got a few other pole vaulters who have just started.
“Most of my athletes are interclub athletes who are improving, which I get a lot of satisfaction from and I’ve got some who qualify for nationals.
“Some of them won’t be champions and they know it but they love the camaraderie of the group. They’ll hang around after training and chat.”
Denise started her own family when she was 31 and had three babies _ Alana (1984), Jacinta (1986) and Matt (1988) in quick succession. All became accomplished athletes in their own right.
The Boyds now have six grandchildren. Alana has two girls, Jacinta has two boys and Matt has a boy and a girl.
“We really enjoy the grandchildren and see them as much as we can,” she said.
The 1980 Moscow Olympics were steeped in political controversy. Because the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan in late 1979, several countries, including the US, boycotted the Moscow Games.
Then Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser put pressure on the Australian Olympic Federation (and individual athletes) to join the boycott but the AOF voted to send a team of about 130.
And Denise Boyd (along with swimmer Max Metzer) was chosen to carry the Australian flag at the Opening Ceremony. The only problem was, it wasn’t the Australian flag, Australia was one of 16 countries to carry five-ring Olympic flag instead of their national flag.
Incredibly, the Australian team, led by Denise and Max, entered the arena immediately behind the Afghanistan team.
Before the Games some of the athletes who chose to go were targeted with some even being branded as “traitors”. Swimmer Michelle Ford, who won gold in the 800m freestyle and was the only Aussie to win gold in Moscow was a particular target.
“I wasn’t as (badly) affected as some,” Denie recalled
“I’d rush home from training to follow that AOF announcements about whether a team was going or not.
“To get to one Olympics is pretty good but I got to two and I didn’t want to miss the one where I was in the best shape of my life.
“Once the announcement was made that we were sending a team, I headed to Europe to get some pre-Games competition.
“So I wasn’t here for a lot of the bad publicity that went on in Australia. No friends or family said ‘you shouldn’t be going’ but it happened to a few others.”
Denise is excited by the state of Australian athletics but doesn’t like comparing eras.
“There were some good times in the ‘70s for the sprints with Raelene (Boyle) and myself and Debbie Wells, Barbara Wilson and Helen Edwards.
“The standard now is terrific. More so in the men for the sprints but there are some girls who are capable of lowering their times.
“You can’t compare eras because of the changes in equipment. The shoes are so different from sprints all the way to the marathon.”
Denise is also kept busy every year with Athletics International scholarships under the Neville Sillitoe Foundation.
“My old coach Neville Sillitoe died a few years ago. He was 96 and bequeathed his money to Athletics International which was a group that kicked off in the Ron Clarke and Kerry O’Brien era,” she said
“Last year we gave 10 $5000 scholarships to sprinters and $3000 per event in the 100, 200, 400, high hurdles and 400 hurdles for men and women at the Australian under 20 championships.
“I’m kept busy because all the applications for scholarships come to me.”
Denise was inducted into the Queensland Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and Neville Sillitoe was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2018.
Barry Dick was a journalist at The Courier Mail and Sunday Mail for 43 years, before retiring in 2015. Most of that time was spent on the sports desk in a variety of roles including sports editor, digital sports editor, Rugby League editor and chief Rugby League writer. Barry was the first full-time Australian football writer for The Courier Mail in 1973, his true passion was always Rugby League and he covered many of Grand Finals, State of Origins and Test matches. Barry was inducted into the Media Hall of Fame on March 27 2017.