Ms Hayley Lewis OAM
Published Sun 01 Jan 2017
| SPORT | Swimming |
| YEAR INDUCTED | 2009 - Athlete Member |
Hayley Lewis was one of the most popular Australian swimmers of her generation. A triple Olympian, she won two medals in Barcelona: silver in the women’s 800m freestyle and bronze in the women’s 400m freestyle.
This success came two years after she became a household name when, as a 15-year-old, she won a record five gold medals at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
Lewis returned to the Olympics in 1996 but a disrupted preparation prevented her from matching her medals performances. After becoming a mum, she came out of retirement to qualify for the 800m freestyle at Sydney 2000, placing 13th.
She retired with two Olympic medals, seven Commonwealth Games gold medals and a 1991 world title. She has also had success as an open water swimmer.
