Published on: 1 June 2016


Swimming legend Dawn Fraser, AO MBE visited Christ Church last week to inspire the swimming team and the The Westside Christ Church Aquatic Swimming Club. In 1962, Dawn became the first woman to swim 100m freestyle in under one minute. It was not until 1973, eight years after she retired, that her 100m record of 58.9 seconds was broken.

This is her account of that incredible day:

“Before the race I said, ‘Coach Gallagher, you told me to have a donut last night and I made a guts of myself, I had six donuts. Coach I feel terrible; can I pull out of [the race tonight]?’

“I’d never pulled out of a race in my life. I did a warm up and my coach said, ‘Just swim as far as you want to swim, do a nice tumble turn, swim back at an easy pace.’ I did exactly that.

 “I had an easy swim and I saw my coach giving me a speed up signal and thought I must be going very slowly, so I sped up for the last bit. I looked up at the clock and thought, ‘Oh that looks like under a minute to me,’ and he was screaming!

“I did 58.9. It was the easiest swim I have ever had.”

Dawn Fraser won eight Olympic medals, including four gold medals, and six Commonwealth Games gold medals. She also held 39 records. The 100m freestyle record was hers for 15 years.