LeRoy Colombo

1
LeRoy Colombo

• Worlds Greatest Lifeguard

2
Early Life

• Born December 23, 1905 in Galveston, Texas
• Age 7, spinal meningitis-
• left his legs paralyzed
• How did brothers, Cinto Nick, help LeRoy?
• LeRoy regained all his strength

3
Education

• Age 8, went to public school-frustrated there
• Age 10, Texas School for the Deaf in Austin
• Became skilled swimmer in schools pool
• Age 16, 1921, left school. Why?
• (death of father)

4
Young Adult Years

• Age 18,(1923) Surf Toboggan Club 1st Deaf member
  (he had to swim continuously for 3 hours-no
  floating)
• 1923 became a Life Guard for the City of
  Galveston
• 1924 Competed against Herbert Bernau, Jr., the
  Amateur Athletic Unions national endurance
  champion, beat him
• Labor Day, 1925, (Age 20)
• Rematch (10 mile race), he beat Herbert again by
  1 mile
• New record for the race, 6 hours 55 minutes

5
How Would LeRoy Fare Against Michael Phelps?

• 1926, competed in a 10 mile race in the
  Mississippi River dislocated his shoulder in
  the 8th mile, continued swimming with 1 arm and
  finished the race
• 1927-Labor Day Race- LeRoy Cinto got 1st 2nd
  place in a 15 mile marathon (age 22)
• They were the only ones to finish out of 6
  entrants-why?
• LeRoy was timed at 11 hours 30 minutes, beating
  Cinto by 31/2 hours
• Age 23, 1928-swam 30 miles in 16 hours 24 minutes
• 1929-1939- won all long distance races in the
  Gulf of Mexico

6
Why is LeRoy Colombo Famous?

• Rescued his 1st victim when he was 12
• During his 40 years as a Life Guard, he saved 907
  lives (Guinness World Record)
• How brave was he?
• Forced to retire at age 62 b/c of a heart
  condition
• He still swam a mile a day up until a a few weeks
  before he died
• Died on July 12, 1974- age 69

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Honored for His Heroism

• In Memory of Leroy Colombo
• Dec 23, 1905- July 12, 1974
• A Deaf-Mute who risked his own life repeatedly to
  save more than a thousand lives from drowning in
  the waters surrounding Galveston Island.
• Plaque dedicated Nov 1974 By the Noon Optimist
  Club and the City of Galveston Texas

8
Can a Deaf Person Be a Good Lifeguard ????