Marlene Mathews

and she said I'll come home and June came to mum and asked mum and mum said oh I don't like the girls being out late at night but June said I'll bring them home so that's how it started I didn't know anything that's how young we were in those days we couldn't do anything very much

Betty credits her success to her fierce rivalry with friend and fellow competitor Marlene Matthews.

She was my main opposition because we constantly ran against her in club sports.

And gradually I could see myself, I suppose with strength and age, I was gradually gaining on her.