View source for Terri Stickles

{{Short description|American swimmer (born 1946)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name           = Terri Stickles
| image          = SticklesTerri1964SwimOlympian.png
| image_size     = 135px
| alt            =
| caption        = Stickles circa 1966
| fullname       = Terri Lee Stickles
| nicknames      = 
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1946|5|11|mf=y}}
| birth_place    = [[San Mateo, California]], U.S.
| death_date     = 
| death_place    = 
| height         = 5 ft 10 in
| weight         = 150 lb
| country        = United States
| strokes        = [[Freestyle swimming|Freestyle]], distance
| club           = San Mateo Marlins<br>[[Santa Clara Swim Club]]
| coach          = [[George Haines]] (Santa Clara}
| collegeteam    = 
| show-medals    = yes
| medaltemplates = 
{{Medal|Sport|Women's swimming}}
{{Medal|Country|the United States}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[Swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Tokyo]]|[[Swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metre freestyle|400 m freestyle]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Swimming at the Pan American Games|Pan American Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[Swimming at the 1963 Pan American Games|1963 São Paulo]]|[[Swimming at the 1963 Pan American Games – Women's 100 metre freestyle|100 m freestyle]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|1963 São Paulo|[[Swimming at the 1963 Pan American Games – Women's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]]}}
}}

'''Terri Lee Stickles''' (born May 11, 1946) is an American former competition [[swimming (sport)|swimmer]], Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder.  <ref name=sroprofile>{{cite Sports-Reference |title=Terri Lee Stickles |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/terri-lee-stickles-1.html |access-date=October 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161204011249/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/terri-lee-stickles-1.html |archive-date=December 4, 2016}}</ref>

Terri Stickles was born May 11, 1946 in San Mateo, California, to Edward A. Stickles, a West Coast credit manager for a large clothing store, and Olive W. Stickles, a physical education teacher and former coach.<ref name=father>"Obituary, Edward A. Stickles", ''Modesto Bee'', Modesto, California, December 25, 1995, pg. 28</ref><ref name=parent>"Splashing on to the Olympics", ''The San Francisco Examiner'', San Francisco, California, September 14, 1964, pg. 24</ref><ref name=mother>"Obituary, Olive W. Stickles", ''The Modesto Bee'', Modesto, California, July 4, 1966, pg. 44</ref>   By the age of ten, Terri began her competitive training with the San Mateo Marlins, a quality age-group team coached by Ray Taft, a former 1940 National medley champion, who also coached Terri's brother Ted at a young age. Terri attended San Mateo's [[Hillsdale High School (San Mateo, California)|Hillsdale High School]], where as a Freshman at 15, she competed and excelled as a member of the women's swim team.  An early athletic pursuit for Terri included skating with the roller derby, though her mother Olive had an understandable preference for swimming, and believed Ray Taft was an important influence in her daughter's early development as a swimmer.  Coach Taft would later become President and Coach of the San Mateo Aquatic Club in 1969, well after Terri had moved to San Jose.<ref name=Tiger>"Tiger Marlin Club Becomes Aquatic Club", ''The Times'', San Mateo, California, November 1, 1969, pg. 15</ref><ref>"Girls Sports at Hillsdale High", ''The Times'', San Mateo, California, December 1, 1960, pg. 34</ref><ref name=parent/><ref>"Terri and Ted", ''The Times'', San Mateo, California, April 25, 1962, pg. 20</ref> 

After her Freshman year, Terri left San Mateo and the Marlins and transferred to Blackford High School, now known as [[Boynton High School]] in San Jose to be closer to the coaching available with the Santa Clara Swim Club.  She eventually graduated Santa Clara High School, in June, 1964, with a high grade-point average.<ref name=America/><ref name=Marlins>"Bluth, Jack, ''The Times'', San Mateo, California, September 2, 1964, pg. 15</ref><ref name=Bluth>Bluth, Jack, "Speaking of Sports, Terri Stickles", ''The Times'', San Mateo, California, September 2, 1964, pg. 15</ref> 

== Santa Clara swim club ==
She trained intensely and competed with the [[Santa Clara Swim Club]], where she was managed and directed by Hall of Fame Head Coach [[George Haines]]. Her Santa Clara workouts could be demanding particularly during the summer months which could include as many as three sessions, with an 8:00-10:00 am morning workout, a mid-day noon-1:00 pm workout, and an evening 4:00-6:00 pm workout.<ref name=Bluth/> During her career with Santa Clara, she won four American Athletic Union (AAU) individual titles. At 16 in December 1962, Stickles made the All America team in the 100-yard and 100-meter freestyle, the 250-yard and 250 meter freestyle, the 500-yard and 400-meter freestyle, and the 400-yard and 400-meter medley relay.<ref name=America>"Terri Stickles All America", ''The Times'', San Mateo, California, December 11, 1962, pg. 20</ref><ref name=SI>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110603235424/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1073743/2/index.htm|title=Those Fierce But Cheerful Little Girls, ''Sports illustrated'' (April 30, 1962)|website=sportsillustrated.cnn.co|access-date=October 11, 2012}}</ref><ref>Santa Clara Swim Club, [https://web.archive.org/web/20051226182743/http://alumni.santaclaraswimclub.org/archives/champs.htm  SCSC National Champions].  Retrieved October 11, 2012.</ref><ref>Cecil Colwin, "[https://web.archive.org/web/20060505071514/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/11282.asp  Coach George Haines, Swim Maestro: A Remembrance]," ''Swimming World Magazine'' (May 1, 2006).  Retrieved October 11, 2012.</ref> At the San Leandro Relays in June, 1963, Stickles broke the American record for the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:25.1, placing first in the event.<ref>"Terry Stickles Sets American Mark", ''Oakland Tribune'', Oakland, California, June 24, 1963, pg. 33</ref>

Stickles was one of five young women swimmers on the Santa Clara club that qualified for the 1964 U.S. Olympic team, that included [[Donna de Varona]], [[Judy Reeder]], [[Pokey Watson]], and [[Claudia Kolb]].<ref name=parent/>

==1964 Tokyo Olympic bronze medal==
Despite an injury from a minor car accident shortly before the 1964 Olympic trails in Astoria, New York which affected her training for ten days, Stickles qualified for the 1964 Olympics by finishing second to Marilyn Ramenofsky in the 400-meter New York Olympic trial finals in world record time.<ref name=Bluth/> 

After travelling to Tokyo with the team, Stickles received a [[bronze medal]] for her third-place finish in the [[Swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics - Women's 400 metre freestyle|women's 400-meter freestyle]] event at the [[1964 Summer Olympics]] in Tokyo, Japan.  Stickles was part of a medal sweep for the American team in the 400-meter event with her third-place time of 4:47.2, finishing behind Americans Ginny Duenkel who finished in 4:43.3, and Marilyn Ramenofsky who had a time of 4:44.6, 2.6 seconds ahead of Stickles.  Stickles edged out Australian Dawn Fraser who took fourth by a margin of only .6 seconds.<ref name=Olympedia>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/51205|title=Olympedia Biography, Terri Stickles|website=olympedia.org|access-date=March 19, 2025}}</ref>

===Post-swimming careers===
After her swimming career, Stickles attended Indiana University, but left to join the Peace Corps.  She took twelve weeks of training for the Peace Corps at the University of New Mexico, completing it in May 1966. After training for another month in Bogata, Columbia, she was assigned to teach English, physical education, and work in educational television.   She was married to long-distance runner and three-time Olympic participant [[Álvaro Mejía (athlete)|Álvaro Mejía]] in mid-1968, having met him in [[Cali, Colombia]], while she was serving as a [[Peace Corps]] volunteer.  While serving in the Peace Corps, she coached Columbia's national swim team.  Ending her time with the Peace Corps, Stickles brought Mejía to the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] in 1969.  They had two sons around the early 1970's, but later divorced.<ref name=Olympedia/>  Stickles later worked as an award winning police officer beginning around 1977 in Redwood City California in the Bay area, just South of San Francisco.<ref>Hurlbert, Roy, "Making the Rounds, A local issue and a federal one", ''The Peninsula Times Tribune'', Palo Alto, California, August 4, 1984, pg. 2</ref>   

In 1969, before moving to the Bay Area, Stickles briefly coached nine to twelve year olds at the San Mateo Aquatic Club, formerly the San Mateo Marlins where she had formerly trained.<ref name=Tiger/>  She swam with a San Mateo Marlins Masters swim team for several years to remain fit.<ref>"Marlin Masters Set National Marks", ''The Times'', San Mateo, California, October 17, 1973, pg. 38</ref><ref name=Olympedia/>

Her brother, [[Edward Stickles|Ted Stickles]], who would coach swimming at Louisiana State,  was also a competition swimmer who swam for Indiana University, and set world records in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley events.<ref>International Swimming Hall of Fame, Honorees, [https://web.archive.org/web/20071027052032/http://www.ishof.org/honorees/95/95estickles.html  Ted Stickles (USA)].  Retrieved October 11, 2012.</ref><ref name=Olympedia/>

She is now retired and living in Murphys, California in [[Calaveras County, California|Calaveras County]] where she moved in 1985 with her husband Bob Strunck and a son. She has worked as a [[fused glass]] artist after taking classes in the medium.  She specialized in wearable art, including pendants, earings, bracelets, rings, and money clips.  Her work is exhibited at the Calaveras Arts Council “Gallery Calaveras” in San Andreas, California. Around the 1990's her parents moved to Murphys in their late retirement.<ref name=father/><ref name=mother/><ref name=glass>{{cite web|url=https://festivalnet.com/Bella-Art-Glass/info|title=About Bella Art Glass, Terri Stickles Strunck|website=festivalnet.com|access-date=March 20, 2025}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)]]
* [[World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{World Aquatics|name=Terri Lee Stickles}}
* {{Olympics.com|therese-lee-stickles|Therese Lee Stickles}}
* {{Olympedia|name=Terri Lee Stickles}}
* {{InterSportStats|3000001120|Terri Lee Stickles}}

{{Footer USA Swimming 1964 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer Pan American Champions 100 m Freestyle Women}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stickles, Terri}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American female freestyle swimmers]]
[[Category:World record setters in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from San Mateo, California]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:People from Calaveras County, California]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 1963 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1963 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportswomen]]


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