Dália Cunha participated together with her sister Natália Cunha and Maria Laura Amorim in the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki.
She didn't take home medals, but she opened the door for more Portuguese women to participate in the Olympic Games. She had a life dedicated to playing sports with an impressive list of activities.
Social context
Dália lived during the period of Salazar's government, the longest-lasting authoritarian government in Western Europe, where women were supposed to be good housewives and nothing else.
Dália and her sister, however, received a strong influence from their father, who was a person extremely involved in sporting activities. This fact not only influenced her, but also allowed them to practice sports. At this time, it was necessary a permission of access to sport by the father so that women could train freely.
First years
The first contest she won, still as a child, was a sack race. At the age of 9, she debuted in target shooting and began to stand out, winning medals.
Dália joined the women's athletics team at Sporting Clube de Portugal in 1946 .
She was champion of Portugal in the shot put in the 1946 and 1947 seasons, and champion of Lisbon in the 80m hurdles, the high jump and the shot put. On July 10, 1948, she established a new national maximum for the shot put, with a mark of 9.73 m, a record that would last for 12 years.
Gymnastics and the first Olympic Games
As a gymnast, she represented the Ginásio Clube Português , and in this modality she became one of the first Portuguese women to participate in the Olympic Games , participating in the 1952 Summer Olympics , reaching 109th place among 159 athletes.
She was accompanied by Joseph Sammer, her coach and boyfriend, a German she would later marry and who was known for being a very strict coach.
Death of Sister and the Rome Olympics
Her sister died in a car accident, along with her husband and son, around the age of 31.
Dália then returned to participate in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome , this time without her sister, repeating the same position she achieved eight years earlier.
Eclectic Sportswoman
Dália was also a cycling champion, skater and acrobatic jumper.
Her extensive list of activities also included skiing, bullfighting on foot and horseback, motor racing and piloting planes.
Later, she developed a career as a trainer at Physics in Torres Vedras.
Last years
In interviews, she revealed that she always watched the Olympic Games and was deeply moved by the participation of women.
At 83 years old, a journalist confirms that she turned on the light on the building's landing with her foot, revealing that her flexibility and body skills accompanied her until her last years.
She passed away at the age of 93, in 2022.
Conclusion
Dália Cunha was an irreverent and fearless young woman for her time. Despite the unfavorable social and political context, but with very present family support, and a particular boldness, her achievements became historic.
Her pioneering spirit paved the way for women who came later to find it easier in the world of sports.