1972 Olympic Games swimmer Leanne Francis, grew up in Redcliffe, attending Soubirous Brigidine College (School Captain 1972) and was house captain and student leader at Frawley College (1970-75) Swimming became an important part of Leanne’s life when she joined St Bernadettes Swimming Club where she had two fine coaches, Arthur Cusack and Bernie Shapland. In 1971 aged 14yrs, she became the youngest female swimmer to compete in the Bramble Bay Swim, a race from the Woody Point Jetty to the Shorncliffe Jetty. In 1972 Leanne represented Australia at the Munich Olympic Games and competed in the Womens 100m Freestyle and was part of the Womens 4x100m Freestyle team.
In 1973 she was selected for her first ever World Games team, but ill-health prevented her
from competing in Budapest.
In 1979 Leanne was awarded a Bachelor's Degree BA and Dip ED (1976 - 1979) and in 1998 she was awarded a Master's Degree in Environmental Education(1996 - 1998) from Griffith University. In 2000 she carried the Olympic Torch along Redcliffe Parade, as part of the Olympic celebrations, and was an official at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, co-ordinating swimmers and teams. In 2000, Leanne was awarded an Australian Sports
Medal in recognition of her sporting achievements. From 2000-2014, Leanne taught at Matthew Flinders Anglican College, and in 2018 she was media assistant at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
Leanne Francis is listed on the wall of the Redcliffe Wall of Fame:
A collection of portrait and information honouring the achievements of individuals who have influenced and shaped Redcliffe. The collection is in the Jetty Arcade at 139-141 Redcliffe Parade.
For a complete list of people who appear on the wall click on the following blog post: