Career
A lack of organised competition and training for female athletes in the 1920s saw Norman take up hockey, although she continued to train herself in track and field athletics until 1932, when she was spotted by former professional athlete Frank Preston, who saw her potential and offered to train her. Norman"s improving times, and several victories in the Washington state titles, prompted Preston to consider her to represent Australia in the 1934 Empire Games to be held in London. Norman eventually managed to establish such a club and join the WAAAA, but too late for her to qualify for the 1934 Empire Games or even the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.
The efforts of Norman and Preston paid off, as several women"s athletics clubs formed in Washington, resulting in the state sending a women"s team for the first time to the 1937 National Athletics Championships in Melbourne.
Norman"s performance in Melbourne qualified her to compete in the 1938 British Empire Games, to be held in Sydney. She established herself as the premier athlete of the event, Australia"s first athletics "golden girl".
Norman remained in Sydney, to begin training for the next Olympics, however her further athletic ambitions were blunted, when the 1940 Olympics were cancelled due to World World War World War II She last competed (for New South Wales) at the 1940 National Championships in Perth. She died of cancer in Albany, Western Australia on 29 August 1983.