One of the greatest Olympic medallists you've never heard of - Blackpool's Lucy Morton

Many of us are familiar with the 1924 Paris Olympics from the film 'Chariots of Fire', when runners from the British Men's team clinched a string of medals.

But fewer people know the amazing story of Lucy Morton, a swimmer from Blackpool, who beat all the odds to win a gold medal in a story to rival any Hollywood blockbuster.

And over the next few weeks, hundreds of British Olympians will be aiming to follow in her footsteps, or should that be strokes, and win gold in the French capital.

Born in Knutsford in 1898, she moved to the Fylde Coast when her dad took up a position in the Mayor's office at the resort.

As a pupil at Christ Church School she didn't exactly shine academically, but it did give her a start on the rocky road to Olympic glory.

She later recalled that her headteacher, Mrs Phillips, sent a note to her father saying that Lucy was 'the biggest dunce in the school and swimming might brighten her ideas up a bit'.

Joining the local swimming club at the age of 10, within a few years she was competing at county level, winning the 100 yards breaststroke in the Northern Counties Championships in 1913.

And it didn't end there. As a talented all rounder she set a world record in winning the 150 yards backstroke, and came second in the 200 yards breaststroke in 1916 while still a teenager.

By now she was catching the eye of Olympic selectors, and could have had her first taste of success at the highest level in 1916, but with the Great War at its height the games were cancelled.

Undaunted four years later she had successful trials for the Antwerp Olympics, but again was disappointed as her events weren't competed by women that year.

She would have been a real asset to the team, because by then she held the world record for the 200 yards breaststroke of three minutes and six seconds, while also clinching the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) championship for the 200 yards breaststroke and the 150 yards backstroke.

And her achievements didn't end there. Lucy was an accomplished open water swimmer, including being the first woman to cross the finishing line in the swim across Morecambe Bay in 1920, 1922 and 1923.

But her greatest moments still lay in the future.

Invited to take part in Olympic trials in 1924 Lucy threw herself into training.

In an age when amateurism reigned supreme she had to persuade Blackpool Council to open the local baths on Cocker Street out of hours so she could train before and after work at St. Annes post office.

Her dedication paid off and later that year she and 12 other women swimmers set off optimistically to the French capitol for the games.

But in many ways Lucy's troubles were about to begin.

On the way to training in the run up to the event her taxi was in an accident and she was seriously injured, losing five teeth and feeling considerably knocked about.

Undaunted, she started her bid for Olympic glory at the Piscine des Tourelles, the venue for the swimming events, clinching her place in the finals with a winning heat in a time of 3.29.4.

The favourite for the event, America's Agnes Geraghty won her heat in an Olympic record time of 3.27.6, and Lucy's team mate Gladys Carson also crossed the line, in a time of 3.30.0.

On the day of the final, 18th July, Lucy trailed behind Geraghty for three-quarters of the race, but she was in hot pursuit and with one last dramatic burst she pipped the American to the gold medal.

Lucy's winning time was 3.33.2 with Geraghty finishing in 3.34.0 while Gladys Carson won the bronze in 3.35.4.

It was not only a personal triumph for the Lancashire lass but it also broke America's domination of the swimming events, giving Great Britain its first ever women's gold medal in swimming.

In a letter home after her historic victory she wrote, 'I finally finished and asked who won - all the bath seemed to be teeming with British swimmers trying to pull me out of the water. "You've won," they cried. We asked for the flag to be hoisted but nothing happened. The reason for the delay was that all week the Americans had swept the board and both the American anthem and the flag Stars and Stripes was pure routine. I upset the apple cart for first, USA second and Britain third. Consternation! They couldn't find a British flag so had to run up a small one in the centre with a large USA one in 2nd position and a small British one on the other side.'

Following her triumph in the Games Lucy came home to a heroine's welcome in Blackpool.

A crowd of over 10,000 greeted her at Central Station, with hundreds more lining the streets as she made her way to a civic reception held in her honour at the Town Hall.

She was showered with gifts by well wishers, including one who gave her a piano.

Lucy retired at the top, stepping down after the Olympic Games and in 1927 marrying Harry Heaton.

But she stayed in the swimming world, for 42 years taking an active role in swimming administration, teaching and coaching and in the late 1920s she even played some seasons at Blackpool Tower Circus, appearing alongside such as Doodles, the Blackpool clown, and Olga's Troupe of Geese!

Following her death on 26 August 1980 she was inducted into the International Hall of Fame as a Pioneer Swimmer in 1988, and later into the Swim England Hall of Fame.

In 2008 she was recognised by the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography to coincide with the Beijing Olympic Games, and in addition a blue plaque was placed on Blackpool Town Hall where she used to live.