image source, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
Rose Amankwaah, one time African 100m record holder, was a theater nurse for almost 50 years
A London nurse once described as the ‘fastest woman in Africa’ is retiring after nearly five decades in the NHS.
Former international sprinter Rose Amankwaah, 72, represented Ghana at the 1972 Olympics and started working in the NHS in 1975.
She was initially given weekends off so she could continue her track and field training, where she ran alongside a young Linford Christie.
Mrs. Amankwaah spent her entire medical career at Central Middlesex Hospital.
image source, Ghana sports history
Rose Amankwaah, then Asiedua, won a medal at the 1974 Commonwealth Games
Mrs Amankwaah, then Rose Asiedua, won a bronze medal at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand.
She added another medal to her haul in 2023 when she was presented with the NHS Silver Medal by the Chief Nurse of England, Dame Ruth May.
She moved to England in 1974 aged 22 and soon after began training to become a nurse.
Completing her training she was employed at the hospital as a staff nurse and completed her career as a theater matron.
During her time at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, the mother-of-four and grandmother of 10 has met both royals and senior politicians.
image source, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
Rose Amankwaah met the then Prince Charles when he visited the hospital
She said: “I’m happy to have some time with my family but I’ve been in this hospital all my life so retirement feels like I’m missing something – you’re part of the furniture and suddenly you’re not going to be.
“But I’m so happy to have achieved what I want to achieve.”
Ms Amankwaah said during her time working in cinemas she had seen major advances in surgery – with most operations being ‘open’ when she started, followed by a shift to laparoscopic or keyhole surgery and now widespread use of robotic surgery .
Rose Amankwaah, pictured with Tony Blair in 1999, has seen surgery change from open, to keyhole, to robotic
Her first trip in retirement will be to Ghana to visit her 87-year-old sister, with several other vacations in the pipeline.
The retirement also means he will be able to attend the Paris Olympics in the summer.
Of her sprinting career she said: “I started running in 1958 when I was in high school in Ghana.
“I started representing Ghana with a high jump, but then a coach came and said they would like to train me in the 100m and 200m races.”
A spokesman for London North West University NHS said: “The NHS is about people and we will miss Rose when she leaves. She is a great nurse and personality and, after 49 years, she still knows how to regulate the pace and run the race’.