Cameron Leslie is one of New Zealand’s most successful and decorated athletes. A dual sport representative for his country in Para swimming and Wheelchair rugby, he has been performing on the international stage for nearly 20 years.

Leslie started his swimming journey with a local learn to swim group for water safety. His family had a pool at home, with Leslie and his siblings always utilising it, so it was crucial that he learnt this important life skill. 

Leslie first represented New Zealand at the senior international level at the 2006 IPC World Championships in Durban. After nearly giving the sport away, his parents encouraged Leslie to move to Auckland and continue swimming with new coach Mayne, where the two formed a bond that would see them work together as coach and athlete for the next 15 years.

He made his Paralympic debut at Beijing 2008, winning gold and breaking the world record in the SM4 150m individual medley. Continuing his excellent form into the next four-year cycle, Leslie broke the SM4 150m individual medley short course world record at the World Short Course Championships in Rio. This world record still stands 15 years later.

Leslie defended his Paralympic title at London 2012, again breaking the world record, and also made finals in the S5 50m backstroke and 200m freestyle.

At the 2010 IPC World Championships, Leslie won gold. He retained his SM4 150m medley world title in 2013 and earned bronze in the S5 50m backstroke. In 2015, he won silver in the SM4 150m medley.

Leslie completed a gold-medal three-peat at Rio 2016, again breaking the world record in the SM4 150m individual medley.

In early 2019, Leslie was re-classified to be S4/SB4/SM4. 

He showed his sprinting capability at the London 2019 World Para Swimming Championships by winning gold in the S4 50m backstroke and S4 50m freestyle. The following year he broke world records in the S4 50m freestyle, S4 50m backstroke and SM4 100m individual medley at the New Zealand Short Course Championships. 

On the back of his two gold medals in London 2019 and three world records in 2020, Leslie was primed for his fourth Paralympic Games in Tokyo. However, he opted not to attend the Games to be home for the birth of his second child.

In 2022, Leslie made the move to be coached by Tom Onley at his local Whangārei Swim Club, being permanently based up in Northland.

Leslie immediately showed he would still be a force to be reckoned with, breaking the S4 50m freestyle world record at the 2022 New Zealand Swimming Championships. With integration of Para Swimming programme into Swimming New Zealand occurring in the same year, Leslie made his debut as Aquablack #272 at the Madeira 2022 Para Swimming World Championships. Leslie dazzled again, breaking his S4 50m freestyle world record again in the heats before he claimed the silver medal in the final. He won gold in the S4 100m freestyle and added two additional silver medals in the S4 50m backstroke and S4 200m freestyle.

His achievements in the pool and as co-captain of the New Zealand Wheelchair Rugby team at the respective World Championships in 2022 saw him one of six finalists for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability. 

At the 2023 Para Swimming World Championships in Manchester, Leslie won gold, two silvers, and a bronze. And in early 2024, Leslie received his first Halberg Award as the Para Athlete of the Year in recognition of his achievements in the pool and court across his two sports the previous year.

Leslie secured qualification for his fourth Paralympic Games at the 2024 New Zealand Swimming Championships in Hawke’s Bay. He led the New Zealand Paralympic team in Paris, alongside long jumper Anna Grimaldi, as flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

In the pool at Paris 2024, Leslie took fourth place in the S4 50m freestyle and backstroke events, finishing off the podium by the slimmest of margins in both events. He also notched a seventh place finish in the S4 100m freestyle and placed eighth in the S4 200m freestyle.

Outside of the pool, Leslie works as Disability & Para Swimming Participation Manager for Swimming NZ and lives in Northland with wife Emma and their three kids.

Motto: “Do It”

Senior pinnacle international medal record

Paralympic Games – 3 x gold

World Para Swimming Championships – 6 x gold, 7 x silver, 2 x bronze