Olga Kevelos

Olga Kevelos

Olga Valerie Kevelos was born in Birmingham in 1923 to a Greek Father and English mother. She studied Metallurgy, and with the country at war, worked for a while in the laboratories of William Mills, manufacturer of the Mills bomb. This was followed by a time at the Royal Observatory but enemy bombing forced the observatory's closure soon after and she was evacuated to the Admiralty at Bath.

She volunteered to work on the canals, a very tough life but one which gave her independence. She started her own travel agency and helped run the family restaurant in Birmingham city centre. She became a highly accomplished trials rider and competed internationally, winning two gold medals at the 1949/1953 international six day trials.

Olga had a number of outings in the Mk I Kieft including the Ladies race at Brands Hatch in October 1950. She held a significant lead and was signalled to slow by her pit crew only for Elisabeth Store, in a JBS, to pip her at the line.

Olga Kevelos eventually gave up racing and for 26 years helped her brother Ray to run his pub, the Three Tuns, at King's Sutton, Northamptonshire. In 1978, Olga took part in one of the BBC’s Mastermind, specialising in Genghis Khan. Sadly, Olga passed away on 28th October 2009.

In the 1,100 Kieft at Bo'ness in June 1951

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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