A childhood spent chasing rabbits and running on the beach was the beginning of a life of athletic accomplishment.
Les was born in Geelong in 1935. Christmas holidays were spent at Barwon Heads where the children would compete in sporting events to win lollies.
Les soon began competing in athletics and by 1953 was training for pole vaulting and hurdles. The rabbit chasing continued and often didn’t end well for the rabbits providing a tasty meal for the Deller family.
Les carried the Olympic torch in 1956 and has represented Australia in pole vaulting and hurdles. He won gold medals at the Singapore Pan Pacific Games in triple jump and 110 metre hurdle, and at the 1977 World Masters Athletic Championships in Gastenburg, Sweden. He competed in many athletic events over the years with a swag of medals to show for it, along with meticulously kept notebooks of newspaper clippings and results.
Les also competed in canoe marathons and performed in live theatre productions - his credits include Les Miserables and Oklahoma.
Ahead of all these accomplishments, Les says the best thing that happened in his life was his marriage of nearly 60 years to his wife Felicia and their 5 children. Living without her has been hard but joining the Glasshouse Country Care social group has helped him a lot. Les particularly enjoyed coming along to our Sunset Social recently and is looking forward to more outings and activities with us.