Lisa: A Memoir - 60 Years of Life, Love & Loss

In 1972, ten-year-old Lisa Curry escaped the heat of a hot and muggy Brisbane day in the local pool when she was spotted by Dawn Fraser’s legendary swim coach, Harry Gallagher. Within two years Lisa would be one of the fastest swimmers of her age in the world.

Over the next 23 years, Lisa honed her natural talent with a legendary work ethic and a punishing training ritual of 5am starts. Countless hours of unbroken swimming of up to 60km a week would take Lisa to three Olympic Games: Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984 and Barcelona 1992, three Commonwealth Games and two World Championships. By the time Lisa called time on her sporting career, she had become the only Australian to hold Commonwealth and Australian records in every stroke except backstroke, and from 50 to 400 metres, a feat that has not been repeated to this day.

In this funny, heartbreaking but always life-affirming memoir, Lisa Curry reflects on a life well lived and the experiences that shaped her: swimming, family, marriage, divorce and love found again. It is a powerful story of resilience, of highs and lows and of starting out and starting again.