A BLUE plaque is to be unveiled in tribute to a Wilsden-born Olympic gymnast.

The move, in honour of Carrie Pickles, follows a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign.

An online fundraising page was set up last November with the aim of raising £350.

But the initiative was such a success, enough has been raised to also buy a trophy which will be awarded in Carrie’s name to an aspiring gymnast.

READ MORE: Fundraising campaign for blue plaque tribute

“We’re delighted with the public response to the appeal and would like to thank everybody who donated,” said Wilsden parish councillor Jane Callaghan.

“It’s lovely that so many people are now aware of Carrie and that she will be recognised for her considerable achievements.

“To raise enough funds for a trophy as well is a real bonus.”

The campaign was launched on the 90th anniversary of the Amsterdam Olympics where Carrie won a bronze medal as part of the British ladies’ gymnastics team, which competed in drill, apparatus and vault.

She was also a county and national champion and went on to coach British ladies for the 1948 Olympics in London and the following Games in Helsinki.

And Carrie had a huge influence on people across the district.

“Perhaps her greatest legacy is the number of children and their mothers who attended her gym clubs at Saltaire and Bingley and dance and keep-fit classes in surrounding villages,” said Cllr Callaghan.

“These were people who for the most part had no aspiration to win Olympic medals – although she coached those too, including her own daughters – but who simply enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment that came from Carrie’s belief that they could achieve something more than they had thought possible.

“We are proud to honour Carrie’s memory.”

The plaque is being placed at Cragg House, 149 Main Street, where Carrie was born in 1904.

The public are invited to the unveiling on Tuesday, March 26, at 1pm.

Family members and representatives of gym clubs she was involved with will be present.

Carrie was the second of six children born to Sarah and Frank Pickles, who ran a grocery business.

She took up gymnastics at a young age and joined the Bradford Gym Club.

After leaving school she trained as a shorthand typist, but continued to pursue her gymnastic career alongside.

She moved to Scotland in 1983 to live with her eldest daughter, but died the following year.