Women in Sport

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Alison Merrien MBE

Professional Bowls Player

Alison Merrien has won numerous Bowls titles including: three world Indoor Singles titles, two Mixed Pairs titles, five World Cup Singles titles, two World Champion of Champion titles and three International Indoor BC Singles Crowns and two Mixed Pairs Championships.

Between 2002 to 2015 Merrien won six British Isles Indoor Women's Singles Championships and in 2022 won, along with Paul Foster, the World Indoor Bowls Mixed-Pairs Championship.

In 2012 Merrien was awarded an MBE.

Ann Le Parmentier

Champion Motorcar driver

Ann Le Parmentier made her mark on the island motor-racing scene. The daughter fo garage owner E.J Bougourd she developed a love for cars and engines from a young age. After discovering the world of sand-racing she became a regular competitor in the sport.

Driving her MG, No. 14 she raced male competitor racers around the sandy tracks. In 1936 Le Parmentier featured on the popular sports-star cigarette card series as one of the finest lady racing drivers of the Channel Islands. In the same year, she entered the Jersey Grand Prix and won the Victory Trophy 100-lap race and the Duckham Trophy for the 1500cc class.

After the outbreak of war Le Parmentier trained as a mechanic. As War ended and life returned to normal she returned to racing and competed in the regular Hill Climb in her signature BMW.

Martine Le Moignan MBE

Professional Squash Player

Born in Guernsey, Martine Le Moignan became a leading squash player in the 1980s and early-1990s. In international competition, she represented England 89 times. She was a three-time European Champion and British Champion as well as a three-time British Open Finalist.

During her career, Le Moignan rose to the rank of both British and European No. 1 and even No. 2 in the World rankings.

Le Moignan retired following the 1994 World Championships. She was awarded an MBE in the 1990 New Year Honors for services to squash.

Lisa Opie MBE

Professional Squash Player

Born in Guernsey Lisa Opie became a leading squash player during the 1980s and early 1990s. Trained by Reg Harbour, Opie won her first tournament in 1979 and quickly became the one to watch. In 1981 she entered the World Open but lost to Australia's Rhonda Thorne. Despite a series of near-misses at the British Open in 1982 and 1983 Opie finally won the tournament in 1991, becoming the first British women to win in 30 years.

Opie had continued success in other areas winning four consecutive WSF World Squash Team Championships between 1985 to 1990.

In 1995, the year of her retirement, Opie was awarded an MBE for her services to Squash.

Mary Russell-Vick OBE

Field Hockey Player andadministrator.

Mary was born on Guernsey in 1922 and educated at a Bexhill Girls' boarding school in England. Mary developed a love of sport from a young age. In 1938 she competed in the Juniors Wimbledon tennis competition. In 1940, Mary attended Sommerville School where she showed an interest in several different sports including Hockey, cricket and squash.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, Mary was called to join the WRNS (Women's Royal Naval Service). In 1947, Mary's hockey career reached new heights when she was selected to play for the England Women's Team. Mary was noted as an excellent goal scorer and was a natural on the pitch. She continued to play for England until 1953.

Following her retirement from playing Hockey she moved into the administration of the sport, earning widespread respect for her work. From 1976 Mary served as president of the All-England Women's Hockey Association and became the first chair of the Great Britain Women's Olympic Hockey Board. Mary started annual women's internationals at Wembley including the National Under-21 and Under-18 Teams and also established the National Clubs and Schools' Championships and the National Indoor Clubs' Championships.

In 1980 Mary was awarded an OBE for her services to hockey.