Twists and tumble-turns – Bronte Campbell’s road to Olympic glory has been anything but a straight line

“I love that moment on the blocks. It’s the most high pressure moment. You can feel your heart beating. Your palms are all sweaty. Often when I’m going down onto the block and they say ‘take your marks’ my hands and legs are shaking. It’s a place of great failure and great success. They’re both possible in that very same moment”. 

Bronte Campbell could be the second best 100-metre sprint swimmer on the entire planet, and still not be the fastest in her family. That’s the reality of growing up alongside another Olympic champion in her older sister, Cate. and it’s a reality much of Australia won’t let her forget. But beyond the constant comparisons and the itch for a cinematic sibling rivalry, Bronte’s faced much bigger, much more demanding challenges throughout her career.  

Her first appearance at the London Olympics was also her first real taste of how vicious the media and general public could be. The closing ceremony coincided with a phone call urging her to rush home for a life or death health concern in her family. For almost her entire career, she’s battled serious injuries and chronic pain, and her third Olympic games almost didn’t happen at all... 

But if anybody was built to handle such intense pressure, it’s Bronte. Reflecting on her early childhood years in Malawi, her lifelong obsession with swimming, and the importance of her relationship with Cate, Bronte unpacks the mindset that motivates her to reach her personal best.  

And she shares the highs and lows of her business journey with PB with Bronte. “I needed to prove to myself there was something beyond the black line for me.” 

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This episode was produced by Liam Riordan. Executive producers are Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan. 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. 

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