A brief history of Herne Bay’s Olympic Bronze medallist Paul Anderson OBE

As we get closer, with each passing day, to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, CommunityAd thought they would pay homage to our former Olympic bronze medallist Paul Anderson OBE.

As we know from previous issues, Herne Bay resident Dan Ritchie is a former 2013 World Rowing Championships gold medallist, and Whitstable born hockey player Sean Kerly, who achieved gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, previously played club hockey in our coastal town.

In this edition though, we look at the career of 85-year-old Anderson who remains, to this day, the only Herne Bay born Olympian…

Born on the 26th February 1935, Paul Anderson would play the role of skipper for Sovereign at the 1964 America’s Cup that took place in Newport, Rhode Island which would eventually be won by New York Yacht Club. Despite losing, this was a vital experience for Anderson in preparation for the Olympic Games four years later in Mexico.

It was indeed a controversial choice to host the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City due to the city’s high altitude of 2,300m.

These games saw 172 events take place with over 5,200 athletes competing (781 women, 4,435 men).
At the age of 33, Anderson achieved a bronze medal at the games in the Mixed 5.5 metres Sailing event with fellow teammates Robin Aisher and Adrian Jardine with Switzerland claiming silver and Sweden winning gold. This would be the final Mixed 5.5 metres event to take place at an Olympics meaning Paul is part of an extremely selective group of just seven men from Great Britain to have medalled in this event.

Despite not being in the Olympic programme, the 5.5 Metre World Championships take place every year with Great Britain’s Will Alloway coincidentally getting bronze at this year’s event based in Pittwater, Australia. Will’s achievement means he is the first GB participant to medal at these championships since Mark Covell won gold 17 years ago at the 2003 Bénodet Championships in France.

After retiring from working in the oil industry for over 35 years, Paul joined the Special Olympics movement in 1990 as Special Olympics Director General of Europe with the role to develop and grow the movement across Europe. The Special Olympics Great Britain is a sporting organisation operating in England, Scotland and Wales that was founded in 1978 for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Taking place every four years, the 11th Games will commence next year in Liverpool.

Under the leadership of Paul from 1990-1994, the number of countries running Special Olympic programmes doubled in Europe. From 1994, Paul was at the helm of Special Olympics in Great Britain up until his retirement in 2000 where Paul then joined the Board of Directors as Vice President.

In 2011, Paul was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to Special Olympics GB. In 2012, the bronze medallist and former America’s Cup skipper was the champion for the final leg of the Voyage to Success; a voyage where around 60 young people from different communities across the UK embarked on a circumnavigation of the UK with the aim to use the occasion of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics to raise aspirations and develop life skills.

Paul’s role as champion was to provide encouragement to the young people during their voyage and congratulate them upon their return, and he also presented certificates of achievement.

An extremely passionate, caring man who has not only helped pioneer the sport of sailing in the UK but has helped develop the movement of the Special Olympics, Paul currently lives in East Sussex with his wife Maureen.