Chris McKenzie was born in London in 1931, and was diagnosed at a young age with a serious bone infection that required her to wear a brace. While she was recovering, she had the good fortune to meet a famed runner named Anne Stone, who helped her recover, encouraged her to get into running and, eventually, became her coach. Her talent was quickly evident over a range of distances, including the 880 meters and longer cross country courses. In 1953, she met American Olympian Gordon Mckenzie, and eventually married him and moved to the United States—where, to her dismay, she found women were limited to running 200 yards. Not to be deterred, Chris ran men's races and evetually, staged a protest that was instrumental in the development of U.S. women’s track.