Vera Tanner was born in 1906 and trained as an English swimmer who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, where she won a silver medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay. In the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam she won another silver medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay and also came fifth in the 100m freestyle event in 1924, sixth in the 400m freestyle event in 1928 and reached the semi finals of the 100m freestyle event and came fourth.