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She completed 12 different record-breaking journeys.
She completed 12 different record-breaking journeys.
The records included Land"s End to John o" Groats. Land"s End to London. Holyhead to London; London to York, London to Edinburgh.
And London to Great Yarmouth.
On 12 July 1953 she covered 422 miles (679 km) in 24 hours, breaking the London to New York 12 hour, and London to Edinburgh records along the way.
Two weeks later she also broke Land"s End to John o" Groats. She died aged 79 when she was hit by a car while pushing her bicycle across a pedestrian road crossing.
Edie Atkins, born Sharman, in Bilston, Staffordshire, England, was less than 5 feet (15 m) tall.
She took up cycling seriously when Roland (Ron) Atkins lent her a bicycle for a weekend ride and she discovered her ability. World World War II ended thoughts of racing. Atkins began racing in 1946, riding for Coventry Road Club.
There was rivalry between her and another rider from the city, Eileen Sheridan.
Sheridan was supported as a professional record-breaker by the Hercules bicycle company but Atkins remained an amateur, remortgaging her house to pay for her cycling. In 1952 she broke the Women"s Road Records Association Land"s End to London record, completing 287 miles in 17h 13m 31s.
In 1953 Atkins broke several more records including Holyhead to London, 264¼ miles in 13h 31m 57s. In her London to York ride, she broke the 195-mile (314 km) record in 9h 56m 20s before continuing north.
After 12 hours she had ridden 234¾ miles.
She reached Edinburgh in 21h 37m after 285 miles (459 km), going on to ride 422 miles (679 km) in 24 hours. She took three records in the same ride and was the first woman to go beyond 400 miles (640 km) in 24 hours. Six days later she rode from Edinburgh to Glasgow and back, 88 miles in 4h 38m 56s.
Atkins set that record, the first established between Land"s End and John o" Groats, eight days after her 24-hour record.
She beat the professional record by 4h 48m. Atkins was entered in the Golden Book of Cycling on 12 August 1953.
1957 saw more records broken. Atkins remained an enthusiastic cyclist after her record-breaking years.
She rode more than 40 races at the age of 76 and rode 100 miles (160 km) a week.
She died in August 1999, aged 79, while crossing the A45 with her bicycle at Ryton-on-Dunsmore, near Coventry.