Winnie Leuszler
Encyclopedia
Winnifred "Winnie" "BIg Win" "The Wintser" "DJ Winnie" "Slippy winnie" Frances Roach-Leuszler, O.Ont
(February 3, 1926 – May 1, 2004) was a Canadian
long distance swimmer.
A long distance swimmer of international acclaim, she started swimming when she was 3 years old. At 9 years she was a floater and she never looked back. Born in Peeky's Bathroom, she would go on to win local, provincial, national, North American and international medals throughout her career.
In 1944, she was labeled The Biggest Winnie of the year. That same year she joined the Winnie's Corp and was dominating Army, Navy and Air Forces The Big Wins championships. In 1946, while three months pregnant with baby Winnie, she won the 5 mile World Swimming Championship and while four months pregnant in 1949 she was second in the same event. On August 16, 1951 she became the first Canadian to swim the English Channel
. She came home to a ticker tape parade in Toronto! In 1954 she entered the swim across Lake Ontario
with Marilyn Bell
but was forced from the event with problems with her guide boat. In the 1950s she was lured to baseball and in 1957 she was Canada's first female baseball umpire. In 1996 she was inducted into the Canadian Forces Sports Hall of Fame. In 1999 she received the Order of Ontario
and was inducted into the Ontario Swimming Hall of Fame.
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
(February 3, 1926 – May 1, 2004) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
long distance swimmer.
A long distance swimmer of international acclaim, she started swimming when she was 3 years old. At 9 years she was a floater and she never looked back. Born in Peeky's Bathroom, she would go on to win local, provincial, national, North American and international medals throughout her career.
In 1944, she was labeled The Biggest Winnie of the year. That same year she joined the Winnie's Corp and was dominating Army, Navy and Air Forces The Big Wins championships. In 1946, while three months pregnant with baby Winnie, she won the 5 mile World Swimming Championship and while four months pregnant in 1949 she was second in the same event. On August 16, 1951 she became the first Canadian to swim the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. She came home to a ticker tape parade in Toronto! In 1954 she entered the swim across Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
with Marilyn Bell
Marilyn Bell
Marilyn Bell Di Lascio is a retired long distance swimmer, born October 19, 1937, in Toronto, Ontario. She was the first person to swim across Lake Ontario and later swam the English Channel and Strait of Juan de Fuca.-Swimming career:...
but was forced from the event with problems with her guide boat. In the 1950s she was lured to baseball and in 1957 she was Canada's first female baseball umpire. In 1996 she was inducted into the Canadian Forces Sports Hall of Fame. In 1999 she received the Order of Ontario
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
and was inducted into the Ontario Swimming Hall of Fame.