SHAW (NASH), Aileen

BORN May 21st 1945 in Melbourne, Shaw lived in the inner city at Burnley near Richmond. Coached by Nancy Burley, she was the youngest Victorian ever to win the bronze medal for figure skating at the age of 7 in 1953. Then, in 1956, at the age of 11, she was the youngest skater ever to compete in the senior titles.

At 13 in 1958, she won her first ice skating championship at Melbourne Glaciarium, before joining Bill Cherrell two years later to represent Australia at the Squaw Valley Olympics. Shaw was five-times Ladies National champion representing Victoria between 1958–61 and 1963, and Australian Ladies Singles representative at the 1960 Olympics. She placed 25th, the youngest Australian Winter Olympian, male or female, at the age of 14 until skier Britteny Cox in 2010.

In 1962, she finished 17th overall in the Richmond Trophy, at Richmond Ice Rink, Twickenham, Surrey. Although she toured England and Europe to gain competitive experience and top class coaching for the 1964 Innsbruck Winter Games, the Australian Olympic Federation decided not to send skaters.

Shaw turned professional and coached skaters such as Sally Patton.