Le Mare was born in Cardiff, Wales and attended Kitchener Road School in Cardiff. Despite having progressive myopia[2] she competed in the prestigious mass start event known as the Taff Swim held in Roath Park Lake.[3] Le Mare living in Leckwith Road, Cardiff at the time was guided by a friends verbal instructions from a rowing boat.[4]
Le Mare joined the Cardiff Ladies' Swimming Club and won the 1956 Glamorgan County Championships 100 yards breaststroke title.[4]
She represented the Welsh team[5] at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales, where she competed in the 220 yards breaststroke event.[6]
In 1960 she became Welsh breaststroke champion and set two national records at the European trials.[7] In 1962, she was swimming for Newport Swimming Club[8] and was selected for the initial team to represent Wales again, at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia but lost out on a place to breaststroke rival Cynthia Shaddick.[9]
In 1964 she married Gordon Summers in Cardiff.[10]