- Olympian Bronte Campbell worked full-time in finance
- Was injury free and had an 18 month swimming break
- She returned to the sport during the fourth Games this year
- The swimming trials for the Paris Olympic Games will start in Brisbane on June 10
After Australian Olympic swimmer Bronte Campbell landed a role as a senior consultant at leading accounting and professional services firm Ernst & Young just over two years ago, she felt like her pool days were finally over.
Averaged 19,000 strokes a week in the water was physically and mentally damaging – and her meager $30,000 a year as a full-time athlete didn’t help either.
But after 18 months away from the sport – which allowed a ‘broken’ Campbell to rest her body – particularly serious shoulder, neck, back and hip injuries – the lure of a fourth Games has proven irresistible.
With the support of long-term partner Benfield Lainchbury, Campbell took up swimming again, but unlike previous years it was pain-free for the 30-year-old.
Next up was a move to Canberra from Brisbane, where he trained at the Australian Institute of Sport under new coach Shannon Rollason.
After Australian Olympic swimmer Bronte Campbell landed a role as a senior consultant at leading accounting firm Ernst & Young, she felt like her swimming pool days were finally over
But after 18 months away from the sport – which allowed a ‘broken’ Campbell to rest her body – the lure of a fourth Games has proven irresistible.
Impressive results followed, most notably winning the Women’s 100m Freestyle at the South Australian State Open Championships in January and the Women’s 50m Freestyle at the NSW State Championships in March.
Thorough stretching through yoga and rehabbing her injuries have been crucial, as has Rollason’s growing influence.
With the Australian swimming trials ahead of the Paris Olympics starting in Brisbane on June 10, Campbell couldn’t have timed her run better.
She knows what awaits her, but is also prepared for disappointment if she falls short.
“The decision to come back… when you look at all the consequences that come with it: moving, the impact on my relationship, the impact on finances, the impact on my work… it was huge,” she said .
A double Olympic gold medalist and former world champion, Campbell has accomplished more than anyone ever will with her racing goggles.
She also does not rule out participation in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028, where she will turn 34.
“Will I still want to do it by the time LA comes around – that’s the question,” she shared News Corp.
‘I asked myself that after Tokyo: do I still want to do this? The answer was yes, which meant I got back to it.
‘Maybe by then I’ll be in a slightly different phase of my life, [with marriage and children] so we’ll see.’