Roberta Bonniwell’s career was riddled with disappointment; first, an injured knee that kept her from competing in the 1936 Olympic Games, then four years later, when the 1940 Tokyo Games were canceled because of World War II. This revolutionary figure for women’s gymnastics did, however, enjoy much success on the national stage as well as being a coach for three Olympic Games. It is believed that Bonniwell was responsible for the first class of women in the US Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1974.
