Watch: The 84-year-old Yorkshire gymnast who can still do cartwheels and the splits

Marjorie Carter, a grandmother-of-five, competed for Great Britain at the 1952 and 1960 Games in Helsinki and Rome before going on to coach the sport in Leeds.

McCarthy & Stone report healthy forward sales figuresAmazingly, the octogenarian can still perform cartwheels, stand on her head and do the splits. She trains three times a week in the gym - starting her workouts at 6am.

She is now hoping to encourage other elderly people to remain active and independent.

Retirement home developers McCarthy & Stone awarded Marjorie the top prize in their Inspirational Generation competition - which was judged by TV presenter Gloria Hunniford. She and her husband Geoffrey, a retired photographic technician, live in a McCarthy & Stone retirement living complex in Bradford.

Marjorie took up gymnastics at the relatively late age of 10, and was selected for the Olympic women's squad, although she narrowly missed out on a medal at both Games.

“Being selected to represent my country was truly exhilarating, it was such an honour and those memories of the opening ceremony will last a lifetime.

“You need to keep moving. It’s so important when you get older to maintain that independence and mobility. As they say, ‘use it or you lose it’."

“I didn’t think I’d win, so I was absolutely overwhelmed to get that call. I had to take a minute to come to terms with it all. It’s been a true honour, and I’ve had a really wonderful life.”

After retiring from international competition, Marjorie taught gymnastics at the Leeds Athletic Institute, later coaching the City of Leeds women's artistic squad. She travelled across Europe with her gymnasts, visiting Berlin, Zurich and Amsterdam.

She retired from coaching at 74, but remained involved in the sport as a volunteer with the Leeds Espirit Gymnastics Club.

Marjorie received a £2,000 cheque for winning the national competition, plus £200 to donate to a charity of her choice.

McCarthy & Stone's Sharon Gill said:

“We are delighted for Marjorie, as soon as we saw her entry it was clear she was an exceptionally inspirational lady. She has had a fascinating sporting career and we are delighted to see her recognised in this way, which is what she really deserves."