Spartan Olympians: Marcia Jones Smoke

MARCIA JONES SMOKE, Member, U.S. women’s canoeing team, 1964, 1968 and 1972, Bronze Medal, 500-meter kayak singles, Summer Games in Tokyo, 1964

            Marcia Jones Smoke, ’64, started out as a swimmer.  A native of Oklahoma City, Marcia and her sister Sperry both attended the University of Michigan, where her mother had received a law degree, to compete as swimmers.  But, Marcia recalls, she discovered that “Michigan State was a much better fit for me” and so she transferred and eventually received her bachelor’s degree in social science from MSU in 1964. 

            “I wanted to go to the Olympics badly,” she recalls.  “I don’t know why, but that was my big goal.”

            She just missed out making the 1960 U.S. Olympic team as a swimmer, but she and her mother attended Summer Games in Rome anyway.  “I saw Wilma Rudolph and was very inspired,” she recalls.  “I also saw the U.S. women’s canoeing team finish last.  I thought I could do better. I knew I could do better.  So I switched sports.”

            It was a good decision.  She made the next three Olympic games and made the finals in the 500-meter kayak singles each time, winning a bronze medal in 1964.  She also went on to win 35 national championships, including 11 straight kayak singles championships from 1963 to 1973.

            “My sister tied me one year and she never let me forget it,” says Marcia of her sister Sperry, who passed three years ago.

            After a career managing a real estate investment business, Marcia is retired and paddles in the St. Joseph river for fun.  Both her children have taken up canoeing.  Her son Jeff, a graduate of Notre Dame, is trying to make this year’s Olympic team.