Tamsyn Lewis - Athlete - Biography

Triple Commonwealth Gold medallist and dual Olympian, Tamsyn Lewis
has established herself as one of the country's most exciting
athletes. She follows in the footsteps of her mother Carolyn who won
six Australian high jump titles and competed at the 1962
Commonwealth Games while her father Greg won six national sprint
titles and competed at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games between
1967 and 1974.

Continuing the Lewis tradition, Tamsyn shot to national prominence
when she finished sixth in the 400m final at the World Junior
Championships in 1994. Later that year, Tamsyn became the youngest
member of the Commonwealth Games team that travelled to Canada.

Her career really took off when she stepped up to the 800m in 1998.
Since then she has won eight consecutive national 800m titles and is
just one of three Australians to better two minutes and has done so
on nine occasions. Another proud moment for Tamsyn was when she was
named Young Victorian of the Year in 2001.

The pin-up girl of Australian athletics, Tamsyn is currently the
Australian 400m titleholder and is now considered to be `entering
her prime' as she sets her sights on the 800m final at the Beijing
Olympics.

But now Tamsyn will put away her spikes and replace them with her
dance shoes when she joins up with Dancing With The Stars dance
partner Arsen Kishishian. The question will she be as quick on the
dance floor as she is on the track when she has to face the `quick
step' and `cha cha cha'.

Tamsyn will support the Butterfly Foundation, who is dedicated to
changing the culture, policy and practice in the prevention and
treatment of eating disorders.

"When I was offered to be a part of Dancing With The Stars, there
was no way I was turning it down. I'm a terrible dance - but if it's
fun, I'm in for it!"