New name for Bendigo Aquatic Centre as Olympian Faith Leech is honoured

Faith’s son, Adam Tuohy, said he hoped his mother’s story would inspire future generations of swimmers.

“Mum overcame serious health issues, including curvature of the spine, to triumph at the highest level. She loved to compete and gave back to the sport after she retired in helping people of all abilities to learn to swim,” he said.

City of Greater Bendigo mayor Cr Margaret O’Rourke said Faith was the city’s original golden girl.

“While we have seen many local sports stars go on to achieve highly at world sporting competitions, she is our only Olympic gold medallist,” she said.

“Faith’s name is a fitting contribution to the city’s sports precinct along Barnard Street, which includes the Tom Flood Sports Centre for cycling and the Frank McCaig stand located within it, as well as the Kel Pell Tennis Pavilion.”

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Efforts to name a pool after Faith Leech began with for an indoor pool being built in Kangaroo Flat.

The council chose a different name, the Gurri Wanyarra Wellbeing Centre and a petition was launched to change it.

Mr Touhy said that it was, at times, a heated debate but that a very fitting alternative had been found.

“Thanks for the overwhelming support of the Bendigo community to have Mum’s memory and achievements honoured,” he said.

“I’m sure they would be, as I am, very happy with the outcome.”

Faith Yvonne Leech was born on March 31, 1941 in Bendigo and was the second child of Johnstone Melmore and Jessie Frances Leech.

Faith was a delicate child who had double curvature of the spine. Faith’s mother had competed in swimming and thought it may be good for her daughter’s health, so at the age of six Faith was taken to swimming lessons during a family holiday on the Mornington Peninsula.

Her first coach was Gus Froelich, a former European swimming champion. Faith improved under his guidance and set a state record for the Under 8, 25 yards freestyle when she clocked 17.5 seconds.

Gus was not an advocate of distance swimming, so he designed shorter workouts for his students and Faith swam only three kilometres a day. He focused on technique, which saw Faith develop a long graceful arm action and led to her nickname ‘the Flying Fish’.

Related: A historian remembers Faith Leech, a shy girl from Bendigo

Living in Bendigo meant that Faith only travelled three times a year to train with Gus, instead relying on dry land exercises and pulleys. When she swum an unofficial Under 12 world record for the 110 yards in 67.2 seconds, Faith’s parents rented an apartment in Melbourne so she could train with Gus on a more regular basis.

At the age of 13, Faith won her first Australian 110 yard freestyle championship. When she turned 14 she won the Australian 110 yard and 220 yard freestyle championships. When she was selected to represent Australia at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, she continued training with Gus in Melbourne while the rest of the squad went to Townsville.

Faith combined with Dawn Fraser, Lorraine Crapp and Sandra Morgan to win the 4x100m freestyle relay at the Olympics, making her Bendigo’s first Olympic medallist and to this day is the city’s only Olympic gold medallist. She also won bronze in the 100m freestyle, completing a trifecta for Australia in the event with Fraser finishing first and Crapp finishing second.

Faith retired from competitive swimming after the Olympics at the age of 15. She worked in Melbourne as a model before returning to Bendigo to help run the family business, JM Leech Jewellers.

Faith taught swimming to disabled children, some of whom represented Australia at the Special Olympics. She was passionate about the development of young people, particularly those with a disability, and was committed to seeing them thrive both in and out of the pool. 

She also carried the Olympic Torch when it came through Bendigo in July 2000.

Faith passed away on September 14, 2013 at the age of 72.