Born: 1889 (Sydney, Australia)
Died: 1956 (Sydney, Australia)
Biography:
Sarah Frances Fanny Durack, also known by her married name Fanny Gately, was an influential figure in the world of swimming and a pioneer for women athletes. Born on October 27, 1889, in Sydney, Australia, Durack rose to become the world’s greatest female swimmer across all distances from freestyle sprints to the mile marathon during the period from 1910 to 1918.
Durack’s swimming journey began at the Coogee Baths in Sydney, where she learned to swim using breaststroke, the only style recognized for women at that time. In 1906, she won her first championship title, and over the next few years, she dominated the Australian swimming scene. Durack’s talent and determination propelled her to become one of the most celebrated swimmers of her time.
In the 1910-11 swimming season, Durack faced a defeat at the hands of Mina Wylie in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 100- and 220-yard freestyle events at the Australian Swimming Championships. Despite this setback, Durack and Wylie formed a close friendship that would endure throughout their lives.
From late 1912 to 1920, Fanny Durack held the official women’s Freestyle swimming world record for the 100 meters. She also set records in other distances, including the 200M freestyle from 1915 to 1921, the 220-yard freestyle from 1915 to 1921, the 500M freestyle from 1916 to 1917, and the 1-mile freestyle from 1914 to 1926. Her remarkable achievements in swimming made her a source of inspiration for aspiring athletes around the world.
The path to Durack’s success was not without challenges. The New South Wales Ladies Swimming Association initially opposed women’s participation in the Olympic Games. However, Durack and Wylie persevered and were eventually allowed to compete in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. They organized local fundraising efforts to cover their own expenses and those of their chaperones.
During the Olympic Games, Durack set a new world record in the heats of the 100-meter freestyle event. She went on to win the final, becoming the first Australian woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a swimming event. Her historic victory was a milestone for women’s sports in Australia, and until the 1932 Olympics, she remained the only Australian woman to achieve such a feat. Even by the 1956 Olympics, only two Australian women, Durack and Clare Dennis, had won gold medals in swimming events.
In May 1920, just a week before the Australian team left for the Antwerp Olympics, Durack’s Olympic dreams were shattered when she suffered from appendicitis and had to undergo an emergency appendectomy. Complications from her surgery, including typhoid fever and pneumonia, prevented her from participating in the Olympic team.
Beyond her incredible achievements in swimming, Fanny Durack also found herself an unlikely symbol of camaraderie and unity during World War I. The leaning statue of The Golden Virgin on top of the Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières in Albert, Somme, France, which was hit by a shell on January 15, 1915, became known as Fanny by Australian troops. The soldiers named it in honor of Durack, as they believed the statue resembled her diving off the blocks.
Fanny Durack’s legacy as a trailblazer for women’s sports and a role model for female athletes continued long after her swimming career came to an end. She passed away in Sydney in 1956, leaving behind a lasting impact on the world of competitive swimming and women’s empowerment.
Awards:
– Olympic Gold Medal – 100-meter freestyle, 1912 Summer Olympics, Stockholm