Willy Lust

During World War II, Willy Lust would run against other children for small prizes, often food. After the war, she decided to join the local athletics club, AV Zaanland. She made her international début at the 1950 European Championships. In Bruxelles, she won a silver in the long jump. At the Helsinki Games, she competed in three events, placing 5th in the long jump, finishing 6th with the 4 x 100 m relay team, and being eliminated in the heats of the 80 m hurdles. Lust was also a top competitor in the pentathlon, but that event would not make the Olympic program until 1964. She did win two Dutch titles in the pentathlon (1950-51), as well as two in the long jump (1952-53).

While training, she had also met Jan Posma and had started dating him. When Lust’s brother returned from a visit to Australia, he convinced Willy and her other brother Dirk to migrate there. Willy and Jan went there in 1954, on the condition that they marry before going, which they did a few days before shipping out to Cairns. There they first worked on a dairy farm before starting their own farm, chiefly producing tobacco and vegetables. In 2003, the track of AV Zaanland was renamed in Lust’s honor. While unable to attend at the time, she did visit several years later and was honored by the club and her hometown. A mother of two daughters and a son, she lived near Cairns for the rest of her life. She died at age 94.

Personal Bests: 100 – unknown; 80H – 11.4 (1952); LJ – 5.81 (1952).