School teacher Graham Thomas leaps park benches, hurdles water drains and takes fences in his stride in an effort to become a champion steeplechase runner. Graham, 24, flashed into Olympic calculations when he clocked 9.20.2 to establish an Australian 3000 metres record at the Moore Park cinder track on Saturday. Graham has had only three steeplechase runs and he believes, with experience, he can get down to Olympic time. November 23, 1955.