Faith Leech

Early years

She was named after an older sister who died from leukaemia at age two. As an infant, Leech had an aversion to eating and was fed in small hourly doses by her mother. She was twice rushed from home to a Melbourne hospital. After conventional medicine failed, a naturopath recommended a ten-day fast, followed by a diet of fruit, salad, vegetables, beetroot juice, and carrot juice.

Her health improved, but she remained slight and frail with a double curvature of the back. To build muscle control and confidence, her parents first tried ballet dancing, then swimming—a sport her mother had competed in. At age six, while the family holidayed on the Mornington Peninsula, Leech began swimming classes under Gustav Fröhlich, a former European champion who had coached Olympic medallist Judy-Joy Davies. After a difficult start, Leech improved in her second year, setting a Victorian state record of 17.4 seconds for the 25-yard freestyle in the under-8 division.

The next year she covered 25 yards in 15.7 seconds, three seconds faster than Davies at the same age. She swept state age titles from ages nine to 13, often setting records faster than boys of the same age. Living in Bendigo and attending Camp Hill Primary School, Leech could only travel three times a year to train with Fröhlich, so she used dry land simulations like a pulley attached to the kitchen door. At age 12, she covered 110 yards in 1 minute 7.1 seconds, an unofficial world record for her age group.

This led her parents to rent an apartment in Melbourne so she could train regularly with Fröhlich; she moved there with her mother while her father stayed in Bendigo to run the family jewellery business.

National selection

In August 1955, Leech set an Australian record of 1 minute 5.0 seconds for the 110-yard freestyle, lowering it to 1 minute 4.8 seconds in October, prompting newspapers to call her an Olympic prospect. She was hospitalised with illness and could not defend her Australian title in 1956, but recovered to win the national age title in the 100-metre freestyle in 1 minute 4.6 seconds, 0.1 of a second outside Dawn Fraser's world record.

The following month she defeated Fraser and Lorraine Crapp in another meeting with the same time. Leech was named to the Olympic squad, and the Australian Swimming Union exempted her from the national training camp in Townsville so she could train with Fröhlich, who understood her dietary needs. After final race trials in Melbourne, where Fraser and Crapp were too strong, Leech was selected for the 100-metre freestyle and the 4×100-metre freestyle relay.

International career

At the Olympics, Leech debuted in the 100-metre freestyle, where she, Fraser, and Crapp were considered the three strongest competitors. Leech won her heat in 1 minute 4.9 seconds, 1.6 seconds ahead, qualifying third fastest behind Fraser and Crapp, who were over 1.5 seconds faster. In the semifinal, drawn with Fraser, Leech finished second in 1 minute 5.2 seconds and was again the third fastest qualifier. Fraser and Crapp were more than two seconds ahead of the other six qualifiers, who were separated by just 0.8 of a second.

In the final, Fraser and Crapp finished far ahead in 1 minute 2.0 seconds and 1 minute 2.3 seconds, respectively. Leech overtook the United States' Joan Rosazza in the final 25 metres to take bronze in 1 minute 5.1 seconds, with just 0.7 of a second separating her from the last finisher. The youngest swimmer in the field, Leech said it was emotional after seeing the Australian men take a trifecta in the corresponding event the previous night. For the 4×100-metre freestyle relay, Australia was the clear favourite.

In the heats, Fraser and Crapp were rested; Leech swam the second leg in 1 minute 5.9 seconds, the second fastest of the Australians, securing her place in the final along with Sandra Morgan, who recorded 1 minute 5.4 seconds. Australia won the heat by 3.1 seconds, qualifying quickest. The selection of Leech and Morgan generated controversy as they were Australia's youngest swimmers and lacked open-level experience; Morgan had false started twice at the Australian Championships, and both had competed at national level only once.

Retirement

Faith Leech stepped away from competitive swimming at age 15, right after the 1956 Olympics. She was Bendigo’s first Olympic medalist and got a hero’s welcome when she came home. Living in the Olympic Village felt strange to her—it was her first time away from family, and the crowds and pressure were intense. Doctors supported her retirement, noting she got very nervous before races.

She tried modeling in Melbourne for a short time, then went back to Bendigo to work in the family jewellery business. After her father died in the 1970s, she took charge, eventually passing the business to her son. She married Mitch Tuohy and had two sons, Adam and Troy, whom she steered away from competitive swimming because of the stress it caused. In later years, she stayed fit but avoided competitive sports, instead teaching swimming to disabled children; some of her students went on to represent Australia at the Special Olympics.

She stayed connected to the Olympic movement through volunteer work. In July 1999, she and World War I veteran Jack Lockett were honored guests at a countdown event for the Olympic Torch’s arrival in Bendigo. In 2001, doctors found a tumour in her neck about the size of a 50c coin. It was removed in a seven-hour surgery, followed by six weeks of radiotherapy.

That experience led her to volunteer for the Cancer Council, helping others with the disease. In February 2003, she called Betty Cuthbert to comfort her after a brain hemorrhage. In October 2006, she joined 1956 teammate John Devitt to launch a stamp series called “50 Years On—The Melbourne Olympics.” She is on the Path of Champions at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. Leech died at home on 14 September 2013, aged 72.