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About This Project
Summary
In 1971, 12-year-old Lesley Cairns was a South African swimming phenom with Olympic dreams. But because she was classified as "coloured" by the apartheid regime, you won’t find her in the record books –or anywhere, till now. She crossed a line—one that led to a harrowing visit from the secret police. In The Lost Olympians, a four-part series, Lesley and her brother, Patrick Cairns, dive into a family secret that reveals the role that sport played in their country’s liberation movement.
Goals & Objectives
Under the apartheid regime, the state kept records, and the state kept only the records that they wanted to tell. Our goal was to create a record for a moment in history that was erased –for our podcast to become that record – all while telling a poignant and engaging story.
Results & Impact
Because of The Lost Olympians, there is now a documented account of a young black female swimming phenom in South Africa during apartheid. This Audible exclusive has a 5 star audience rating. The listenership hit every Audible in-house metric.
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