Sandra Morgan Beavis will be the Walgett Shire Council’s 2012 Australia Day Ambassador.
She was the youngest Australian to win a gold medal at age just 14 years and six months.
Sandra swam in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics with Dawn Fraser, Faith Leech and Lorraine Crapp where they won gold and broke the world and Olympic records for this event.
She came sixth in the final women’s 400-metre freestyle after winning the heat in Olympic record time.
She has also won a gold medal in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay at the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff; World and Commonwealth Games record in 1960; silver at the Rome Olympics in the 4 x 100 Women’s relay.
In 1995 Sandra was honoured by the NSW government in the Hall of Champions at the State Sports Centre Homebush Bay and was presented as an Olympic Champion - Pathway of Champions at the Olympic Aquatic Centre, Homebush Bay.
A personal highlight for Sandra was her involvement in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Torch relay running through Shellharbour.
In December of that year she was also twice awarded the Australian Sports Medal from the Australian government for services to the Sydney Olympics and sporting achievements.
In December 2003, the relay team was included in the Australian Hall of Fame for that event which hasn’t been won since 1956.
In June 2004 Sandra was given the honour and was chosen to run with Athens Olympic torch in the leg from North Sydney Pool where she had competed many times in her career and been part of world record breaks.
Sandra ran a swim school at Bonnet Bay for 15 years; she has worked at the Bates Drive Special School and received a grant to teach preschool handicapped children swimming.
She has been involved in Christian, Olympic and education programs for schools and churches and fundraising for the Australian Olympic Committee. She is proficient as a guest speaker.
In November 2006, the 50th year anniversary of Melbourne Olympics took place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and many former gold medalists and other Olympians both Australian and from overseas gathered to celebrate. Sandra was the youngest athlete among many famous sporting people.
Sandra was born in Tamworth NSW, lived and trained in Bankstown under coach Frank Guthrie and later Don Talbot.
After marrying in 1965 she lived in rural NSW, Griffith and Orange for sixyears and now resides at Bonnet Bay in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire.
She has an active life, still in the pool and has three grown daughters and 10 grandchildren.
From January 1996 to mid 1999 she lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where her husband was on assignment for his employer, Westfield.
During that time Sandra was a Bible teacher to international women in that community.
Sandra continues to have a caring ministry to many women as a Prayer Counselling Minister, and enjoys speaking and encouraging women at conferences, sharing her life as an Olympic athlete and as a committed Christian.
Sandra and her husband George are active members of Gideon’s International.
Sandra has been an Australia Day Ambassador for more than 10 years.
Email a friend