20 Facts About Cecil Healy

Cecil Patrick Healy was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1900s and 1910s, who won silver in the 100 m freestyle at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.

Cecil Healy was killed in the First World War at the Somme during an attack on a German trench.

The son of a barrister, Cecil Healy was born in Darlinghurst, an inner-city suburb of Sydney, but moved with his family to the rural town of Bowral where he received his primary schooling.

Cecil Healy moved to Sydney in 1896, joining the East Sydney Swimming Club, of which Frederick Lane was a member.

Cecil Healy was a member of the North Steyne Surf Lifesaving Club.

Cecil Healy attended St Aloysius' College in Sydney in 1896 and is remembered there in the Roll of Honour and via the Cecil Healy plate which is given out to the winner of the inter-house swimming competition.

In 1904, Cecil Healy posted the fastest-ever time in the 100 yd freestyle, 58s, but there were no official world records at the time.

Cecil Healy was a proponent of the new crawl stroke, raising eyebrows among classicists who perceived it to be inelegant.

In 1906, Cecil Healy was sent to the 1906 Intercalated Olympics, one of only five athletes for whom the necessary funding was allocated.

Cecil Healy won the 220 yd British Championships but was thwarted by Daniels in the 100 yd event.

In 1911, Cecil Healy inflicted the first defeat on Frank Beaurepaire in any race after beating him in a 440 yd race.

In 1912, Cecil Healy came third in the 110 yd, 220 yd, and 880 yd events at the Australasian titles to qualify for the Australasian team at the 1912 Summer Olympics.

In Stockholm, Cecil Healy entered the 100 m event with fellow Australian Bill Longworth and American Duke Kahanamoku.

However, Cecil Healy intervened and assisted in an appeal to allow the Americans to swim another special race in order to qualify for the final.

Cecil Healy encouraged the practice of swimming daily for exercise and was active in lifesaving at Manly beach, winning the Royal Humane Society silver medal for saving numerous surfers.

Cecil Healy was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1981.

In September 1915, Cecil Healy decided to enlist in the Australian Defence Force and served as a quartermaster sergeant in Egypt and France.

Cecil Healy was killed in action on the Somme battlefront.

Cecil Healy remains the only Australian Olympic Gold medallist to die on the battlefield.

Cecil Healy was buried at Assevillers New British Cemetery.