Fanny Durack : Short Biography

Fanny Durack was born Sarah Frances Durack on the 27th of October 1889 in Sydney Australia. The daughter of Irish immigrants, Fanny would go on to become the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal for swimming. 

Fanny's father Thomas Durack came from Maghereagh townland in Mountshannon, County Clare. (Iniscealtra is the civil parish).  Mary Mason was her mother. 

Mostly self-taught, Fanny's first major win was a state swimming title in 1906 at the age of 17. From then on she went from strength to strength, winning 56 medals and 100 trophies before setting her sights on Olympic glory. 

In 1912, at the Stockholm Olympics, women were allowed to compete in swimming and diving for the first time. The New South Wales Ladies Swimming Association opposed this and eventually conceded to allow the women's team to compete but only if they funded their own expenses. Fanny and her team mate Mina Wylie organised a fundraising campaign which received great support from the people of Australia. This public support had also been largely responsible for lifting the ban on female competitors as the Australian people wanted to see their great swimmer take home an Olympic medal. When she arrived to compete in Stockholm, onlookers were shocked to see her don a close-fitting swim suit. She insisted that the more modest wool suits generally worn by women would slow her down in the water. Fanny won the gold medal for the 100m freestyle. 

After achieving Olympic glory, Fanny continued to have great success as a swimmer. She broke 12 world records over the course of 6 years between 1912 and 1918. She retired from competitive swimming due to ill health in 1921 and spent the rest of her career as a swim coach. 

Fanny died on the 20th of March 1956 and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1967.