Guy Leech
 |
Guy Leech | |
|---|---|
 Guy Leech at the time 2008 Australian Grand Prix Celebrity Challenge | |
| Born | 29 February 1964 |
| Occupation | Former Iron Man athlete |
Guy Leech (born 29 February 1964) is a former Australian Ironman surf lifesaving champion.
Career
[edit]Leech rose to prominence in 1984 at age 19 when he won the inaugural Coolangatta Gold, an endurance Ironman surf lifesaving race inspired by the Australian film of the same name.[1] The race, spanning 46 kilometres along the Gold Coast, involved swimming, surf ski paddling, board paddling, and running. Despite being relatively new to surf lifesaving, Leech’s victory established him as a leading endurance athlete in the sport.[2]
He defended his title in 1985, defeating Grant Kenny, and further solidified his status by winning the inaugural Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman event in 1986, held at Southport Beach, Queensland.[3]
In 1989, the launch of the rival Uncle Tobys Super Series marked a major shift in professional Ironman racing. Leech competed in and won the first race of the new series—reviving the 46-kilometre Coolangatta Gold distance—beating a field that included Trevor Hendy and Grant Kenny.[4]
In 1991, Leech won the Molokai to Oahu World Championship of Ocean Paddling in Hawaii, completing the 55-kilometre Ka’iwi Channel crossing against top competitors like Dean Gardiner and Grant Kenny.[5]
In 1993, Leech was declared "Australia’s Fittest Athlete" after winning a made-for-television multi-sport event hosted by 60 Minutes, which tested elite athletes across ten disciplines of speed, strength, power, and endurance.[citation needed]
Leech still trains daily and delivers training sessions with paddling and cross-training strength exercises.[6]
Philanthropy and Advocacy
[edit]In 2006, Leech appeared in the second season of Australian Survivor, a celebrity edition filmed in Vanuatu. Although he was initially voted out midway through the competition, a twist allowed him to return, and he ultimately won the series. Leech donated his prize money to fund the construction of two schools in northern Cambodia.[7]
In 2016, following the sudden cardiac death of his close friend Charles Stewart during a training session, Leech founded Heart180, a national initiative to improve access to defibrillators across Australia.[8] The organisation’s goal is to ensure that no Australian is more than 180 seconds from a defibrillator in the event of a cardiac emergency. [9] Since its inception, Heart180 has been credited with saving more than 100 lives.[6]
Recent Projects
[edit]In 2025, Leech launched Younger Longer, a longevity-focused health and technology platform designed to help Australians take control of their well-being and extend their quality of life. Drawing from current science on movement, nutrition, and ageing, the platform offers evidence-based programs on balance, mobility, strength, fall prevention, mental health, and healthy lifestyle habits.[10]
Personal life
[edit]Leech lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with his wife, Helen, and their two daughters, Paloma and Phoenix.[11] As a young man, he worked at the Warringah Sports and Aquatic Centre and trained at the Manly Surf Club.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Whiting, Kayla (31 October 2019). "The Gold standard of Ironman racing". Surfers Paradise SLSC. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "Coolangatta Gold celebrates 50 years of Ironman". Surf Life Saving Australia. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ Middleton, David (2010). Ironmen: Surf Lifesaving’s Greatest Athletes. Macmillan Australia. ISBN 9781742610059.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ "History of the Uncle Tobys Ironman Series". Surf Life Saving Queensland. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "Channel Champs: Molokai to Oahu Race Results". Paddle Monster. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ a b "Guy's Story". HEART180. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
- ^ Guy Leech - Australian Survivor Hall of Fame 2020 Inductee. YouTube. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021.
- ^ "Guy Leech wants to make defibrillators more accessible". 7NEWS. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
- ^ The Pharmacy, Guild of Australia. "HEART180 Partnership – saving lives by putting defibrillators within the reach of every Australian". www.guild.org.
- ^ "Younger Longer – Live Well Longer". Heart180. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "Kitchen Spy: fitness coach and former Ironman Guy Leech". Good Food. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
- ^ Surf, Life Saving. "Surf Studio: Guy Leech". sls.com.au. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
External links
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