With us: Marian Mansfield, called America's most beautiful diving champion

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Part of Woman's Home Journal

Title: With us: Marian Mansfield, called America's most beautiful diving champion
Language: English
Year: 1938
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Fulltext: Manila, January, 1938 WOMAN’S HOME JOURNAL With Us: Marian Mansfield, Called Local sports enthusiasts, especially swimm i n g fans, had a real treat January 4th when two American diving champions, Miss Marian Mansfield and Pete Desjardins, arrived in Manila and gave an exhibition of their art in two performances at the Jose Rizal Natatorium. Miss Mansfield, who is only twenty, is known as “America’s Most Beautiful Diver” and “Northwestern University’s Most Beautiful Coed”. She was a member of the 1936 U.S. Olympics Team and winner of many low board and high board championships. She looked younger and prettier in real life than in her pictures. We are sure that she can look more beautiful —when her hair is fluffed out, when she is clothed in dresses instead of in a tightfitting bathing suit, and with proper make-up, for instance. Miss Mansfield confessed to wearing no make-up, except water-proof lip-stick. She wore a rubber one-piece bathing suit with no back at all; her exposed skin was beautifully tanned into a golden brown. We asked her if she used cream or any other preparation to protect her skin from too much contact with the water. She does not. Strange as it may seem, she said, the water in swimming pools in different countries and climes has kept her skin soft. She was practising with Pete Desjardins at the Jose e POWDERS AS A SPARKLING DRINK THAT IS how refreshing you will find a sprinkle of COLGATE TALCUM POWDERS on your body after bathing, or just before going out. They absorb excess perspiration—banish its odour—leaving your skin fresh, cool, perfumed. Keep your complexion smooth and lovely, too. Colgate Talcums are so fine—so fragrant—that you will want to use them freely on your face. There is a variety of Colgate Talcums, each with a delightful scent. Choose your favourite today: CASHMERE BOUQUET Rizal Natatorium when we interviewed her so we had a chance to see the stuff champions are made of, why champions are champions. The two practised diving for over two hours, repeating each dive many times until perfection was attained. Miss Mansfield would make a dive, with Pete Desjardins watching her. When she came out of the water, Pete would tell her what he thought of the dive and give her his suggestions. Miss Mansfield woulc repeat the dive, not only once but several times. Then Desjardins would make a dive and Mariam would criticized him. “Pratice makes perfect” was the rule observed by the two champions. Watching them we got bored with too many repetitions and we wondered if they themselves did not get tired repeating and repeating each dive. But we answered ourselves that if they did not have the patience to practice they would not be champions. Marian started swimming when she was only four years old. Her father who was not an unusually good swimmer nor a very keen one over the sport, taught her. But Marian took to the water as a duck does and swam for pleasure and exercise still she was fif(Continued on page 39) Manila, January, 1938 WOMAN’S HOME JOURNAL 39 BRINGING UP . . . (Continued front page 26) When the children understood what it cost to pay for taxes, coal, food and other fundamentals, they realized what folly it was to expect their parents to give them bicycles, trips and fancy clothes. Being treated like adults, they acted like adults in business matters, and so, when they wanted extras, they went out and earned their own money. How to keep child dry at night: Sonny was just over two years old and although perfectly trustworthy in the day time, generally failed to keep dry at night. Finally, his mother resolved on the following changes. She took him out of diapers with their “psychology of wetness” and gave him pyjamas made exrctly like his father’s. He was told that he was no longer a baby wearing diapers but a man who would someday grow to be a big man “like Daddy.” To be so, he would have to learn to act like a grown-up and keep his bed and new pyjamas dry all night long. He was much impressed both by the importance of the aim and the masculine splendor of the pyjamas. His mother kept up the normal program of getting him up at ten and two o’clock. Immediately there was a decided improvement and within three weeks the habit was conquered. (Adapted from the PARENTS’ MAGAZINE). WITH US (Continued front page 15) teen when she started diving and entering competitions. She turned professional last June and started a diving tour around the world with Pete. They crossed the United States for England where they remained for four months, giving exhibitions to capacity houses. From England they passed through Europe to Egypt, Colombo, India (they stayed here for one month and a half), Rangoon, Singapore and Manila. From Manila they sailed straight to the Uniled States where Miss Mansfield will resume her studies at Northwestern University where she is a junior. She is taking a course in philosophy and is majoring in English literature and sociology. After her graduation next year, she plans to do social service work and take up tennis which she used to play much before she entered competitions and horseback riding which she likes very much. Diving, she said, is more strenuous than swimming for it requires much twisting and bending. It tends to develop hard muscles, particularly in the legs which are tensed when springing, while swimming develops soft muscles. Diving, even from a high altitude, does not'involve any At lfour Dealers £>very day of the year ^HAT a wonderful array of choice canned foods you can obtain under the Del Monte label! Fruits, vegetables, jams, condiments, pickles and specialties — all conforming to the high Del Monte standard of quality. Insist on Del Monte brand and get complete satisfaction. risk if one knows how to do it properly. Beginners, she advised, should not attempt to dive from a high altitude nor try to do new turns and twists without having competent instruction first. As in anything else, practice makes perfect in diving. Miss Mansfield thinks that all one needs to be proficient in diving are plenty of nerves, infinite patience to practice and an excellent sense of timing. She confessed to feeling nervous before making dives when she was just starting. She would be so nervous at times that she had to stand on the springboard for about five minutes trying to collect herself. She Luscious Del Monte Peaches: How appetizing are these golden ripe halves of tempting fruit sparkling in their rich syrup. Here’s a dessert that every one likes—a real delight—and so easy to serve. considers herself fortunate that she has never had a single accident since she started diving. Accidents will • not happen, she says, when one is carefui and does not take risks. Those who see Miss Mansfield only at her performances marvel at her grace and at her mastery of the difficult twists and turns. But those who know of the endless and tiresome hours of practice, of having to give up little pleasures that are so dear to the hearts of girls, marvel at her patience, her capacity to take great pains in perfecting even a small detail. To be sure of quality—Buy Del Monte foods