Edith Atkins (2 February 1920 – 28 August 1999) was a racing cyclist and a prolific breaker of long-distance records[1] in the 1950s.
She died aged 79 when she was hit by a motorist while pushing her bicycle across a pedestrian road crossing.
[1] Edie Atkins, born Sharman, in Bilston, Staffordshire, England, was less than 5 feet (1.5 m) tall.
[3] She took up cycling seriously when Roland (Ron) Atkins lent her a bicycle for a weekend ride and she discovered her ability.
One of their two children, John Atkins, was an international cyclo-cross rider and national champion.
Sheridan was supported as a professional record-breaker by the Hercules bicycle company but Atkins remained an amateur, remortgaging her house to pay for her cycling.