View source for Judy Simpson

{{Short description|British heptathlete (born 1960)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Use Jamaican English|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|name=Judy Simpson
|birth_name = Judith Earline Veronica Livermore
|birth_date= {{birth date and age|1960|11|14|df=yes}}
|birth_place= [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]], Jamaica
|death_date=
|death_place=
|home_town= 
|sport     = Heptathlon and 100m hurdles
|club    = Rugby & District AC, Rugby <br> [[Birchfield Harriers]]
|show-medals=yes
|medaltemplates={{Medal|Sport | Women's [[Athletics (sport)|Athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Country|{{ENG}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1986 Commonwealth Games|1986 Edinburgh]] | Heptathlon}}
{{Medal|Silver| [[1982 Commonwealth Games|1982 Brisbane]] | Heptathlon}}
{{Medal|Bronze| [[1990 Commonwealth Games|1990 Auckland]] | Heptathlon}}
{{Medal|Country|{{GBR2}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[European Championships in Athletics|European Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze| [[1986 European Championships in Athletics|1986 Stuttgart]] | Heptathlon}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Universiade|World Student Games (Universiade)]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze| [[1983 Summer Universiade|1983 Edmonton]]|Heptathlon}}
{{Medal|Bronze| [[1985 Summer Universiade|1985 Kobe]]|Heptathlon}}
}}
'''Judith Earline Veronica Simpson''' (née '''Livermore'''; born 14 November 1960) is a British former [[heptathlon|heptathlete]] who competed at two [[Olympic Games]]. She went on to appear as '''Nightshade''' in the TV show ''[[Gladiators (1992 British TV series)|Gladiators]]'' between 1993 and 1996.

==Early life==
She went to [[Harris Church of England Academy|Harris School]].
She competed in Tae Kwan Do, becoming the English champion, and was in the English team. She lived on Wood Street.<ref>''Coventry Evening Telegraph'' Wednesday 3 March 1976, page 10</ref>

==Athletics career==
Simpson was born in [[Jamaica]], but brought up in [[Rugby, Warwickshire]].<ref name="bhst">{{cite web |title=Judy Simpson (nee Livermore) |date=4 February 2015 |url=https://birchfieldharrierssportingtales.wordpress.com/about/birchfield-harriers-sporting-tales/judy-simpson-nee-livermore/ |publisher=Birchfield Harriers Sporting Tales |access-date=8 March 2022}}</ref> She competed in the pentathlon at the [[1980 Summer Olympics]] in [[Moscow]] and in the heptathlon and high jump at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]] in [[Los Angeles]]. She competed in three [[Commonwealth Games]]; the [[1982 Commonwealth Games]] in [[Brisbane]], Australia, the [[1986 Commonwealth Games]] in [[Edinburgh]], Scotland, and the [[1990 Commonwealth Games]] in [[Auckland]], [[New Zealand]], winning a silver, gold and bronze respectively in the heptathlon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/edinburgh-1986/athletes|title=1986 Athletes|website=Team England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3041/19/all|title=England team in 1986|website=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=6 October 2019|archive-date=19 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419153600/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3041/19/all|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/auckland-1990/athletes|title=1990 Athletes|website=Team England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3042/19/all|title=England team in 1990|website=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=6 October 2019|archive-date=4 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404120931/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3042/19/all|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/40167|title=Athletes and results|website=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=6 October 2019|archive-date=6 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006090629/https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/40167|url-status=dead}}</ref> She was also the [[Amateur Athletics Association|Three A's]] heptathlon champion in [[1982 WAAA Championships|1982]] and [[1983 WAAA Championships|1983]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=14 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/waaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (women) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=14 March 2025 }}</ref> In 1986, Simpson won a bronze medal in the heptathlon at the [[1986 European Championships in Athletics|European Championships]] in [[Stuttgart]] with a personal best points total of 6623.

==Television==
In 1987, Simpson participated in [[Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex|Prince Edward]]'s charity television special ''[[The Grand Knockout Tournament]]''. Between 1993 and 1996, she featured in the British television show ''Gladiators'' as "Nightshade". After appearing in an Ashes competition with Australian Gladiators, she became ill. She appeared for a few episodes of the 1996 series but was later forced to pull out.

==Personal life==
In 1999, Simpson's daughter, Joan Mary, died of [[meningitis]], following a nationwide outbreak of the disease.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/250473.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=Brain disease claims Gladiator's baby | date=7 January 1999 | accessdate=1 April 2019 }}</ref>

==Achievements==
{| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}}
|-
!colspan="6"|Representing {{GBR2}} / {{ENG}}
|-
|1980
|[[Athletics at the 1980 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|[[Moscow, Soviet Union]]
|13th
|pentathlon
|4304
|-
|rowspan=3|1982
|[[1982 European Athletics Championships|European Championships]]
|[[Athens, Greece]]
|7th
|heptathlon
|6287
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Athletics at the 1982 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games]]
|rowspan=2|[[Brisbane, Australia]]
|5th
|100 m hurdles
|13.25
|-
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|heptathlon
|6214
|-
|rowspan=2|1983
|[[Athletics at the 1983 Summer Universiade|World Student Games (Universiade)]]
|[[Edmonton, Canada]]
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd
|heptathlon
|6184
|-
|[[1983 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Helsinki, Finland]]
|—
|heptathlon
|DNF
|-
|rowspan=2|1984
|rowspan=2|[[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|rowspan=2|[[Los Angeles, United States]]
|19th (q)
|high jump
|1.84 m
|-
|5th
|heptathlon
|6280
|-
|1985
|[[Athletics at the 1985 Summer Universiade|World Student Games (Universiade)]]
|[[Kobe, Japan]]
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd
|heptathlon
|6046
|-
|rowspan=2|1986
|[[Athletics at the 1986 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games]]
|[[Edinburgh, Scotland]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|heptathlon
|6282
|-
|[[1986 European Athletics Championships|European Championships]]
|[[Stuttgart, West Germany]]
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd
|heptathlon
|6623
|-
|1988
|[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|[[Seoul, South Korea]]
|—
|heptathlon
|DNF
|-
|1990
|[[Athletics at the 1990 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games]]
|[[Auckland, New Zealand]]
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd
|heptathlon
|6085
|}

== References ==
<references/>

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=0177133|name=Judy Simpson}}
*{{World Athletics}}

{{Footer Commonwealth Champions Heptathlon Women}}
{{Footer UK NC 100 Metres Hurdles Women}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Judy}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Black British sportswomen]]
[[Category:Jamaican female athletes]]
[[Category:English heptathletes]]
[[Category:British heptathletes]]
[[Category:English female high jumpers]]
[[Category:British female high jumpers]]
[[Category:English female hurdlers]]
[[Category:British female hurdlers]]
[[Category:Jamaican emigrants to the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for England]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1982 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1986 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1990 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Great Britain]]
[[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:FISU World University Games bronze medalists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Rugby, Warwickshire]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1982 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1986 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1990 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Gladiators (1992 British TV series)]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportswomen]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in athletics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in athletics]]