Nancy Lyons: a pool pioneer and UQ’s first Olympian

Nancy Lyons, UQ’s first Olympian and Queensland’s first woman to win an Olympic medal, enjoyed a remarkable sporting career: at just 18 years old, she won a silver medal in the 200m breaststroke at the 1948 London Olympics, solidifying her place in swimming history.

Nancy – now in her 90s – also won gold and silver at the British Empire Games (today called the Commonwealth Games), competed in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, travelled Europe, met her husband and retired from sport – all before the age of 22.

Contact is proud to share Nancy’s story, as told to and unearthed by Dr Stephen Townsend, as part of a major research project underway at UQ's Queensland Centre for Olympic and Paralympic Studies to document our history of supporting extraordinary Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Dr Stephen Townsend

Dr Stephen Townsend

Born in Brisbane on 12 April 1930 to Ethel and Redmond ‘Bren’ Lyons, Nancy Lyons began her swimming journey in North Queensland. The family had relocated to Townsville from Brisbane, where Nancy’s earliest memories are of holding onto a floating tyre and kicking around the Ethel Crowther Bathing Enclosure. After returning to Brisbane, the Lyons family frequently visited the beach at Surfers Paradise, and Nancy’s love for the water only grew.

The bathing enclosure at Kissing Point, Townsville, where Nancy learned to swim. Taken in 1949 and the structure is significantly more dilapidated than it would have appeared in the mid 1930s. Image: John Oxley Library.

The bathing enclosure at Kissing Point, Townsville, where Nancy learned to swim. Taken in 1949 and the structure is significantly more dilapidated than it would have appeared in the mid 1930s. Image: John Oxley Library.

Swimming regularly at the Valley Baths, she honed her skills amidst the chaos of the crowded pool. “There was one decent pool in Brisbane,” said Nancy, “and every other child within cooee was at the Valley baths, so you’d stand at the end waiting for a space to dive into.”

Crowds at the Valley Baths in 1946. Nancy trained here throughout the 1930s and 1940s, without any of the amenities that modern competitive swimmers take as standard. Image: Brisbane City Council Libraries.

Crowds at the Valley Baths in 1946. Nancy trained here throughout the 1930s and 1940s, without any of the amenities that modern competitive swimmers take as standard. Image: Brisbane City Council Libraries.

By age 9, Nancy had won her first state title in the 50m Junior Women’s Breaststroke. At just 10 years old, she made headlines by defeating adult competitors in the 200m open breaststroke. Despite Queensland swimmers being historically overlooked by selectors, Nancy’s potential was undeniable. Her career trajectory was interrupted by the Second World War, but she continued to train and compete. In 1945, the Australian swimming championships resumed, and Nancy was selected for the Queensland team. At 15, she won her first open national championship, and by 1947 she had solidified her status as one of the top breaststrokers in Australia.

In early 1948, the Amateur Swimming Union (ASU) relocated Nancy to Sydney in preparation for the 1948 London Olympics. She trained under the guidance of ASU coach Forbes Carlile, where she was introduced to the emerging field of sport science. Through experimental training, Nancy refined her technique and improved her performance.

Despite initial hesitation with the butterfly stroke, which had been introduced as a more competitive option for breaststroke, Nancy triumphed at the 1948 Australian Championships, qualifying for the London Games.

Before departing for London, Nancy also began a Bachelor of Arts degree at The University of Queensland (UQ). However, she struggled to balance her studies with the demands of swimming, and her family’s expectations of attending university weighed heavily on her. In early 1948, Nancy also faced financial hurdles when the Australian Olympic Foundation (AOF) announced that only 34 athletes would receive funding to attend the Games – and she wasn’t on the list. But after further support was rallied through Queensland Amateur Swimming Association and public donations, Nancy secured her place on the plane to London.

Nancy’s Olympic journey in London was a whirlwind of firsts. Her 3-day voyage to the Games took her through numerous cities around the world, broadening her horizons and sparking a lifelong love for travel. Upon arriving in London, the Australian swimmers were housed in a half-ruined hotel in the West End that had been bombed in the blitz during the war.

“None of us had been outside Australia of course and when we landed, I was tempted to run around and have a look. You learnt about these places in school and reading and so forth,” said Nancy. “London had been battered and bashed and there were houses that had been bombed.”

As the Games began, Nancy swam through the heats of the 200m breaststroke with ease, but in the final, she faced Dutch swimmer Petronella Van Vliet, the reigning European champion. Despite her best efforts, Nancy finished just half a second behind, claiming a silver medal.

Reflecting on this pivotal moment, Nancy is characteristically humble: “I just did what I had to do. I just got up and swam. And did alright.”

It was the first time in her competitive swimming career that she didn’t end in first place, but it was a pivotal moment in Australian swimming history. She returned home as an Olympic hero and the first Queensland woman to win an Olympic medal.

After the Games, Nancy resumed her training with sights set on the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, where she won gold in the medley relay and silver in the 200m breaststroke. In Auckland, she had also found romance with Bruce Welch, a sports journalist from Melbourne. The couple’s relationship blossomed during the Games and would lead to their marriage in 1953. She announced her retirement shortly after the 1950 Games, citing the increasing difficulty of the sport.

In early 1952, Nancy made a brief return to swimming with the goal of making the Australian team for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Despite her time away from the sport, she was still the top Australian swimmer. She trained in Townsville under Dutch coach Anne Timmermans, but her performance in Helsinki didn’t secure her another medal. Finishing 8th in her semi-final, Nancy immediately announced her retirement after the Games.

Following her second retirement from swimming, Nancy travelled around Europe with Bruce, and the couple became engaged during their trip. They married in Brisbane in December 1953 before relocating to Melbourne. Nancy found the cold weather unsuitable for recreational swimming, but she remained active in the community through volunteering.

In 1988, Nancy made a brief but remarkable cameo back in the pool at the World Masters Championships, where she won second in the breaststroke and backstroke at the age of 58. She has remained involved with the Australian swimming community and was a torchbearer for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Now 94 years old and living on the Gold Coast, Nancy reflects on her career with humility, acknowledging the sport’s transformation since her heyday: “I remember talking to Susie O'Neill one day and she was telling me about the training she did and I thought … mind boggling!”

While she admires the dedication and fitness of modern athletes, she fondly recalls the joy of her own swimming career, especially the fact that it enabled her to travel the world. As she put it: “the opportunities are there … to travel.”

The combined Southside State Schools Choir practicing for their morale-raising performance at City Hall in September 1940. Nancy was one of the children in this photo. There was significant apprehension about the outcome of the war at the time – a German invasion of Britain appeared imminent. Image: The Courier-Mail, 12 September 1940, p3.

Old black and white image of three woman all looing at the camera - they are dressed in academic graduation robes and caps

Nancy (middle) with friends Shirley Beeston (left) and Nerida Mott (right) at the UQ George Street Campus, in early 1948. Shirley later married Nancy’s brother, Peter.

Black and white photograph of the 9 women competitors in the 1948 Olympic Games, walking away from an aeroplane. They all carry bags and blankets

Members of the Australian women’s Olympic team arriving in London on 28 June 1948, a full month before the commencement of The Games. Nancy is third from the top of the staircase. Image from the personal collection of Nancy Lyons.

The 9 women competitors in the 1948 Olympic Games, From Right to Left are Shirley Strickland, June Maston, Joyce King, Marjory McQuade, Judy Canty, Betty McKinnon, D Spencer, Judy Davies, Nancy Lyons. Image: Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum.

By age 9, Nancy had won her first state title in the 50m Junior Women’s Breaststroke. At just 10 years old, she made headlines by defeating adult competitors in the 200m open breaststroke. Despite Queensland swimmers being historically overlooked by selectors, Nancy’s potential was undeniable. Her career trajectory was interrupted by the Second World War, but she continued to train and compete. In 1945, the Australian swimming championships resumed, and Nancy was selected for the Queensland team. At 15, she won her first open national championship, and by 1947 she had solidified her status as one of the top breaststrokers in Australia.

The combined Southside State Schools Choir practicing for their morale-raising performance at City Hall in September 1940. Nancy was one of the children in this photo. There was significant apprehension about the outcome of the war at the time – a German invasion of Britain appeared imminent. Image: The Courier-Mail, 12 September 1940, p3.

In early 1948, the Amateur Swimming Union (ASU) relocated Nancy to Sydney in preparation for the 1948 London Olympics. She trained under the guidance of ASU coach Forbes Carlile, where she was introduced to the emerging field of sport science. Through experimental training, Nancy refined her technique and improved her performance.

Despite initial hesitation with the butterfly stroke, which had been introduced as a more competitive option for breaststroke, Nancy triumphed at the 1948 Australian Championships, qualifying for the London Games.

Before departing for London, Nancy also began her Bachelor of Arts degree at The University of Queensland (UQ). However, she struggled to balance her studies with the demands of swimming, and her family’s expectations of attending university weighed heavily on her. In early 1948, Nancy also faced financial hurdles when the Australian Olympic Foundation (AOF) announced that only 34 athletes would receive funding to attend the Games – and she wasn’t on the list. But after further support was rallied through Queensland Amateur Swimming Association and public donations, Nancy secured her place on the plane to London.