Monica Vaughan

Vaughan grew up in Cosham, Hampshire. She had a leg amputated at the age of four, after she fell under a trolleybus. At primary school, she had swimming lessons every summer, but never learned to swim. The lessons started with the breaststroke, which was difficult to swim as a mid-thigh amputee. A science teacher at secondary school taught her the front crawl and within weeks she was able to swim.

Vaughan joined the local swimming club, Portsmouth Northsea SC. In 1966, Vaughan was disqualified from a butterfly race, because she didn't move her legs together and simultaneously. Northsea's protests against the lack of inclusion, lead to a meeting with the Amateur Swimming Association and a change of the rules. The news was covered in newspapers as far away as California and Singapore.^[5]

Vaughan worked as a podiatrist before retiring.^[3]

Vaughan was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2025 Birthday Honours for services to sport.^[6]