Born to Swim

In May 1936, the Australian Olympic team set sail for Berlin with a live kangaroo for a mascot. On board was Western Australian swimmer Evelyn de Lacy who recorded her experiences in a diary. Seventy-six years later her grandniece, Sally Foster, qualified for the London Olympics. Inspired by Evelyn’s words she decided to write her own diary. The 1936 Berlin Olympic Games were contested as the world was on the edge of collapse. Oblivious to the impending war, Evelyn wrote with delight of touring the airfields of the Reich and mock bombing raids; and of sitting in Hitler’s box in the Olympic Stadium. Sally takes us from the swimming trials in Adelaide onto the starting blocks in London. The Australian Swim Team was embroiled in controversy before the 2012 London Olympic Games even started. Accusations of recreational drug use and bullying whilst the team prepared in a camp in Manchester were followed by disappointment in the pool during the Games. Born to Swim tells the story of two young Australians, of the times they lived in and the challenges faced as they lived their Olympic dream.