Judy Simpson


Judith Earline Veronica Simpson is a female former British heptathlete who competed at three Olympic Games. She went on to appear as Nightshade in the TV show Gladiators between 1993 and 1996.

Athletics Career

Simpson was born in Jamaica. She competed in the pentathlon at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow and in the heptathlon and high jump at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She competed in three Commonwealth Games; the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland and the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, winning a silver, gold and bronze respectively in the heptathlon. She was also the Three A's heptathlon champion in 1982 and 1983. In 1986 Simpson won a bronze medal in the heptathlon at the European Championships in Stuttgart with a personal best points total of 6623.

Gladiators

Between 1993 and 1996 Simpson featured in the UK TV show Gladiators as "Nightshade". After appearing in an Ashes competition with Australian Gladiators she became ill. She appeared for a few episodes of the 1996 series but was later forced to pull out.

Personal life

In 1999 Simpson's daughter, Joan Mary, died of meningitis, following a nationwide outbreak of the disease.

Achievements