Peter Leek
Australian Paralympic swimmer
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Peter Alan Stuart Leek, OAM[1] (born 27 September 1988)[2] is an Australian former swimmer with ataxic cerebral palsy, who won eight medals at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.[3]
AustraliaPeter Leek multiple gold medallist at the 2008 Beijing Games | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Peter Alan Stuart Leek | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 27 September 1988 Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle, butterfly, medley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classifications | S8, SB7, SM8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Cranbrook Eastern Edge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
Leek was born in the Sydney suburb of Blacktown. He began swimming at the age of eight to aid his disability.[2] He was a member of Ripples St Marys Swimming Club for 13 years. He attended Oxley Park Public School during his primary school years, and then Colyton High School.[4] He completed a Bachelor of Applied Economics at the University of Canberra.[5]
Career
His debut in major international competition was at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships in Durban, South Africa where he won two gold, two silver and one bronze medals.[2]
At the 2008 Beijing Games in his Paralympic debut, he won three gold medals in the Men's 100 m Butterfly S8, Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM8, and Men's 4 × 100 m Medley 34 pts events, for which he received a Medal of the Order of Australia,[1] four silver medals in the Men's 50 m Freestyle S8, Men's 4 × 100 m Freestyle 34 pts, Men's 400 m Freestyle S8, and Men's 100 m Backstroke S8 events, and a bronze medal in the Men's 100 m Freestyle S8 event.[6] He broke four world records and four Paralympic records.[2]
He competed in the 2010 IPC Swimming World Championships, held in Eindhoven, Netherlands where he won six gold medals and one silver medal.[2] Leek's medals helped Australia's national Paralympic swim team finish sixth overall.
He missed the 2010 Commonwealth Games due to glandular fever.[7] Leek did not return to the pool following this illness. Leek turned to a different passion and graduated from the University of Canberra with a Bachelor of Applied Economics. Following his graduation, Peter began working as a management consultant in health, ageing and human services at KPMG Australia. Leek considers his graduation as one of his greatest achievements.[8]
He was an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship recipient.[9]
Leek is also a committee member for the Friends of Brain Injured Children ACT organisation in Australia.[10]
Recognition
- 2008 and 2009: Hawkesbury Sportsperson of the Year. Leek was the first athlete to receive the award in two consecutive years.[10]
- 2008: Junior Athlete of the Year award from the Australian Paralympic Committee.[11]
- 2009: Medal of the Order of Australia.[1]
- 2009: New South Wales Disabled Athlete of the Year.[12]
- Hawkesbury Sportsperson of the Year award in 2008 and 2009, the first athlete to have received the award in two consecutive years.[13]
- 2009: Young Sports Achievement Award Penrith City Council.[14]
- 2010: Swimming Australia's Multi-Class Swimmer of the Year.[15]
- 2025: University of Canberra Sport Walk of Fame induction[5]