Martin Lee

Martin learned to swim and progressed quickly to Glenrothes ASC at age 6. Martin remained with the Glenrothes Club until he was 9 and then joined Kirkcaldy ASC. At the age of 13 Martin joined Fins Competitive Swimming Club. At age 18, Martin joined City of Dundee Swimming Club.

Martin was 15 when he swam in his first British Deaf Swimming Championship. He had a successful championship and this led to his selection for the Deaflympics in Los Angeles in 1985. Martin had just turned 16 and he came home from his first Deaflympics with two silver and one bronze medal.

In 1989 Martin was selected for Team GB and swam in the Deaflympics in Christchurch in New Zealand in 1989. This was Martin’s most successful Deaflympics. Martin won five gold medals and one bronze medal and set world records in 100m and 200m breaststroke.

In 1993 Martin swam in his 3rd Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria where he won gold, silver and bronze medals and broke the world record for 200m breaststroke. In between his amazing Deaflympics successes, Martin excelled at numerous European Championships.

Post 1993 Martin developed a serious knee problem and became a qualified ASA swimming teacher. Consequently Martin retained his involvement in mainstream and deaf swimming. Martin is currently a teacher/assistant coach at Dundee City Aquatics and also assistant coach for the GB Deaf Swimming Club. Martin received Life Membership of the GB Deaf Swimming Club in 2016. At present Martin is developing a deaf starting system that will allow all deaf athletes an equal chance at the start of races.