{{Short description|English long-distance walker and rower (1936–2020)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} '''Ann Rosemary Sayer''' MBE (16 October 1936 – 15 April 2020) was an English long-distance walker and rower.
Born in Whitstable, Kent, Sayer attended London University, graduating with a degree in geology after which she worked for the oil company BP.<ref name=obit/>
Having taken up rowing at university, Sayer was selected for Great Britain at the Women's European Rowing Championships in 1960, 1962 and 1964.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ann Sayer |url=https://rowingstory.com/people/ann-sayer/ |website=Rowing Story |date=24 March 2017 |accessdate=8 May 2020}}</ref> In 1977, she became the first woman to qualify as a Centurion, walking 100 miles in under 24 hours.<ref name=obit/> In 1979 she set the National 3 Peaks Challenge record by climbing the 3 highest peaks in England, Wales and Scotland and running between each one in just 7 days. She also took part in several 24 hour races in France.<ref name=WR/> In 1980 she set a still unbroken record for the fastest ever walk by a woman from Land's End to John o' Groats.<ref name=obit>{{cite news |last=Welch |first=Julie |date=24 April 2020 |title=Ann Sayer obituary |url= https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/apr/24/ann-sayer-obituary |work=The Guardian |access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref>
Sayer became a vice-president of the Long Distance Walkers Association, and was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire for service to sport in the 2005 Birthday Honours list.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=57665 |date=11 June 2005 |supp=y|page=20}}</ref>
In 2018 she suffered complications after breaking her hip during a fall,<ref name=obit/> and died with COVID-19 on 15 April 2020, aged 83.<ref name=WR>{{cite web |url=https://www.wr-nw.com/news/ann-sayer-passed-away-from-coronavirus-covid-19 |title=Ann Sayer MBE |website=World Ranking – National & World Race Walking }}</ref>
A memorial bench was installed in the Woodland Gardens, Bushy Park, in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Higgins |first=Stuart |date=30 November 2023 |title=BUSHY PARK SUPER BENCH MARKS THE LIFE OF ANN SAYER |url=https://teddingtontown.co.uk/2023/11/30/bushy-park-super-bench-marks-the-life-of-ann-sayer/ |access-date=26 January 2024 |website=Teddington Town}}</ref> thumb|Ann Sayer's bench, Bushy Park
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sayer, Ann}} Category:1936 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Long distance walkers Category:English women race walkers Category:British women race walkers Category:English race walkers Category:English female rowers Category:People from Whitstable Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in England Category:20th-century English sportswomen