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Winnie Roach-Leuszler
Born: 1926
Birthplace: Port Credit, Ontario
Died: 2004
Inducted: 2015
Sport: Swimming
Category: Athlete
Highlights
1947 & 1948
Placed 2nd in the 5 Mile World Championship long distance swim at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto
1944
At age 18 was the first Canadian to win the Junior National Amateur Athletic Union 2.5 mile long distance Swim Championship in New Jersey, USA
1949
Placed 3rd in the 5 Mile World Championship long distance swim at the CNE in Toronto
1951
First Canadian to swim the English Channel
1996
Inducted into the Canadian Forces Sports Hall of Fame for her achievements in swimming and softball
1999
Inducted into the Swim Ontario Hall of Fame
Awarded the Order of Ontario
Biography
Winnifred "Winnie" Frances Roach-Leuszler was the first Canadian to swim the English Channel in 1951 and posted a time of 13 hours and 25 minutes. She had many sport talents including becoming Canada’s first female baseball umpire, but long-distance swimming was her calling that was discovered early in her life with her first win at the age of 9. She trained at the Maple Leaf Swim Club and continued to compete, winning local, provincial, national, North American and international medals throughout her career and as a member of the Canadian Women’s Corp in WWII.
Winnie’s incredible drive was apparent on all occasions but never more so than when she placed 2nd in the 5-mile World Swimming Championship in 1947, three months after giving birth to her first child. In the same race in 1949 she placed 2nd while she was 4 months pregnant. Winnie was instrumental in establishing the first handicap swimming program in the 1940’s and, after her retirement from competitive swimming, she taught countless children and adults through the learn-to-swim program.
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