Celebrity Featured: Leisel Jones
Artist: Kelly Vella
About Leisel Jones
Born in Katherine in the Northern Territory on 30 August 1985, Leisel Jones swam her first Olympic event as a 15 year old in 2004, and was a part of the gold medal winning Australian team for the 4x100 metre medley relay at Athens.
Leisel has broken 13 world records and was the youngest member of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Swimming Team and the youngest ever Olympic medalist in Australia's history when she won silver in the 100m Breaststroke and 4x100m Medley Relay. At 18 years, Leisel brought home Olympic gold, silver and bronze and set a new World Record with the medley relay team at the 2004 Athens Games.
She has won seven World Championship titles, seven Commonwealth Games gold medals and 19 National titles. She is currently the world record holder for the 100m and 200m breaststroke events and is a member of the world record team for the 4 x 100m medley relay (plus holds the short course world records in the 100m and 200m breaststroke events). Leisel's 100mB and 200mB World Records are over one and two seconds (respectively) faster than any other competitor.
A keen animal lover, Leisel assists with QLD's Environmental Protection Agency turtle research and is also an ambassador for the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation and fit4fun program.
After a successful 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Leisel is looking forward to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and beyond and she will no doubt continue to dominate the world stage and inspire others.