Aileen Soule Is Still Making Waves By Barbara Del Piano name a few. was the first American woman two pages in Vanit)' Fair featured a With the IOOrh anniversary of ever to win a Gold Medal, and the petite and glamorous Soule with A year in the life of Aileen the Olympic game fa t approach­ younge t a well. several he-man types provided by Ri[(gin So ~tle, America's oldest woman ing, Olympic women pioneers were Returning to the PMis the Conover Modeling Agency. Olym{>ic Gold Medalist. the pecial honoree , and who, Olympics in 1924, she competed in Soule affectionately refer to them more than Aileen Riggin Soule, firs both diving and swimming, and as the "six hunks". The caption etll'een interview and the the bill? 11·on a medal in borh competition . read, "Gue which one's the photo e ion, there wa bare­ TI1e 90-year old former A the fir t per on to win a medal Olympic gold medali t in spring­ Bly time to keep the hair Olympic Gold Medalist ll'a on the in two different porrs, oule board diving?" nppointment and meet with the go for an entire year, making I0 accompl ished a feat that has been In March of 1996, Soule again wardrobe mi tre s. Thank heaven trips to the mainland to be repeated only once in Olympic his­ flew off, this time to the Uni versity for the aide, constantly at her side, acknowledged and honored for her tory. of Indiana in Bloomington, for an reminding her of the schedule and role as a pioneer in women's One of the special honors Olympic Reunion, held in combi­ escorting her from one appoint­ Olympic competition. Through it oule received last year wtls her ntltion with th e Olympic swimming ment to the nex t. The rehear al all, she managed tO keep up with election as one of 12 trial . Each day and evening, the wn over and now to the mnke-up cores of athlete a fraction of her "Ambassadors" cho en by the former Olympians were introduced, department for a final touch-up age, exh ibiting a phenomenal en e Avon Corporation ro travel around according to the year of their com­ before making an appearance at of enthusia m and joie de vivre. the country making public appear­ petition. As the only member of three cocktail parties and the for­ During the past 12 month , ance , representing America's out· the 1920 team, oule was in a cia mal dinner in the Wnldorf Astorin's Soule was featured in articles in the standing "Olympic women". of her own. mnin ba ll room. New York Times, and appeared on Other sport legend chosen for With only a few weeks back A day in the life of a fas hion the front page of the Chicago this honor were Nadia Comaneci, home to catch her breath and model? Televi ion actre s? uper Trib11ne and the cover of Parade jackie Joyner Ker ee, Shannon change wardrobe , Soule was off mhlete? Actually, Aileen Riggin Magazine. Miller and Janet Evans. again to New York City in early oule has done it all. She wa an The Dallas Morning News, A photo se ion for adverti - Mlly for Avon' luncheon to kick­ honored gue tat the ::mnunl dinner Time maga:ine, Friend , and even ing and promotional purpo e wa off its national Olympic publicity of the Women's Sports Foundation the National Enq11irer paid rribute to arranged in December of '95 in campaign. The event, held in the in October, 1995, where guests paid her achievements. he was a fea­ New York City. When Soule Rainbow Room m Rockefeller $10,000 n table to meet and mingle tured guest on one of the most pop­ relucr:mtly admitted that her aller­ Center, included more press confer­ with the glittering array of sport ular TV talk shows and t1ppeared gy to cold weather would prevent ences, interviews and photo ops at heroine which included, along on an NBC Live new broadca t. her from going, Avon ent an the company's corporate offices on with oule, celebri ties such a Time c:m never era e o ule' entire crew of 12 to the West 5th Avenue and 57th Street. Monica ele , Martin:~ Navrmilova, mark in the history of the Olympic Coa t and re chedu led rhe " hoot" Whi le involved in all thi Chris Evert, Kristi Yamaguchi , games. As a 14-year old di1·er in in Lo Angeles. activity, oule, mnazingly, was u an Burcher, and Bonnie Blair, to Antwerp, Belgium, in 1920, she The re ulring ad that covered training for the National Ma ter Aileen Soule receiws a proclanuuion from Got'•'T710T Ca)'etano. Aik~1shows off her Gold ~ ledal in the OCC Lobby. PA GE-2 0 U T II G G E II Shorr Course Swimming many past and present Olympians, the Nissen exhibit, Soule rubbed Champion hip. After a brief return as Hawai'i held its own kick-off for elbows with the likes of Bruce During 1996, Aileen was to Honolulu, she was off again to the Olympics. Runners lit their Jenner, Rafer Johnson, Bob an Olympic Woman. Cupertino, California, where she torches from the volcano's fire and Mathias and Bill competed in the 90-94 age bracket ran down the slopes in a burst of Toomey. Visitors were for the first time. She entered six Olympic fever. lined up for blocks to events, and not only won them all , Barely catching her breath, view the outstanding but set ix nationa l records. oule was whisked off to Chicago exhibit which featured Later in the month, another in earl y June to be a featured guest a wall listing the name trip brought Soule back to the West on the Oprah Winfrey televi ion of every American ath­ Coa t where she made a series of show, along wi th Greg Louganis lete who ever competed appearances and talked to a variety and Nadia Comaneci. The show' in the Olympics, and to of audiences, mostly youngsters, in producers gave her the red carpet get the autograph of the borh San Franci co and Lo treatment with first class air travel, li ving sports legends Angeles. superb hotel accommodations, lim­ present. During a brief spell in ousine ervice and a free day which Thanks to her two Honolulu, Soule was royally feted. she opted to pend at the Chicago corporate spon ors, She appeared on the poster of Institute of Art. Soule attended many of Hawai'i's Olympians produced by The pace quickened as the the competitions where the State Department of Hea lth for opening of the Olympic Gmnes she wa provide I with l-lawai'i's school children, and was a drew closer. Avon staged an open­ good scats, food and guest of honor at the "Zoo!y mpics". ing in late June for irs exhibit in transportation and an Much ought-after as a guest Atlanta called "The Olympic introduction to at various luncheons and dinners, Woman" and all the "A mbassadors" President Clinton and her social calendar was always fill ed were on hand fo r the highly publ i­ his family. She was rec­ during the brief times she was in cized event. ognized m the Xerox town. Governor Ben Cayetano After another whirlwind trip company's dinner for presented her with a special award home, Soule was back in Atlanta the 100 most outstand­ at a breakfa tat Washington Place for the Opening Ceremonies of the ing Olympians a the and the Quarterback Club of lOOth anniver ary of the modern oldest living woman Honolulu honored her at one of Olympic games. She was so much competitor. (Hawai'i their monthly luncheon meetings. in demand that Nis en Corporation weight lifters Peter The en l of May found Soule cut a deal with Avon to share her George, also an OCC at a chilly sunrise ceremony at the personal appearances. member, and Tommy Kono were Honolulu , trying to catch up with ummit of Kilauea, along with The only woman fea tured at among the 100.) the huge amount of fan mail she In the midst of the mayhem, ha received, a well a sort out the ou le managed to keep in sl1 8pe bags and boxes of photographs, and trai n for the World Masters awards, clipping , programs and Long Course Swimming other memorabil ia accumulated Championship held in August at du ring this very exhausting but the University of Michigan at Ann memorable year in her life. But Arbor. After yet another brief tri p he's not taking it too easy. Back home, oule traveled to Michigan on a rigorou training schedule, to enter the competition where she Soule plans to compete in the Pan came in first in the five events she Pacific Masters Swimming entered and again set fi ve new Championship in Lahaina in June world record . of 1997. 0 Soule is now back in - The youn•m Olympic champion, Aileen receiwdher !TOlJhy from KingAlw n I;W -~=:--· · ·"'"'::..:::- :::::::::=::~ for fancy diting. 0 U T R G G E R P A G E 3 .