Kieren Perkins, OAM

Australian swimming hero, businessman, motivational speaker

Kieren Perkins is a hero of Australian swimming and one of the world's greatest long distance swimmers.  A dual Olympic Gold Medalist with an impressive list of awards and achievements, he was the first person in history to hold the Olympic, World, Commonwealth and Pan Pacific titles simultaneously.

Kieren Perkins' performance, experience and proven track record in delivering on goals is a winning formula that he has drawn on to establish a successful career in business since retiring from the pool.

"The challenge is to recognise your skills and translate them to where you need them," he says.

About Kieren Perkins:

Kieren Perkins was 15 years old and still a student at Brisbane Boys' College in Toowong when he made the cut for the Australian swimming team.

He had a stellar career, winning 18 Australian records, 3 World records and 3 Commonwealth records. He represented Australia at Monte Carlo, Rome, Auckland, Canada, Barcelona, Atlanta and the Sydney 2000 Olympics. In 1992, Kieren captured the nation's heart when he set a new World Record and won Gold in his famous 1500m freestyle win at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.  

Following this, Kieren was named Australian Swimmer of the Year and Distance Swimmer of the Year. Other awards quickly followed: Outstanding Male Olympian; Favourite Australian Male SportsStar in The People's Choice Awards; and from the Confederation of Australian Sport, awards for Best Single Sporting Performance, Most Popular Australian Sporting Personality, and Male Athlete of the Year.  In 1993 he was awarded an OAM.

Used to making world headlines, Kieren also won Gold and broke two World Records (the 800m and 1500m freestyle) in an unforgettable race at the 1994 Commonwealth Games.  Days later, he capped this performance at the World Swimming Championships in Rome, breaking the 400 metres freestyle World record and winning the 1500 metres. 

By 1996, when Kieren took to the pool for the 1500m final at the Atlanta Olympic Games, Australia came to a halt.   Having qualified as the slowest swimmer, Kieren was under enormous pressure to repeat his Gold Medal winning performance.  How Kieren blitzed the field and stormed to victory is now history and proof of his incredible strength, determination and athleticism.

In 2000, Kieren won Silver at the Sydney Olympic Games, before announcing his retirement from competitive swimming. 

Since then, Kieren has moved into the role of corporate ambassador and media personality.  He has been appointed to the board of the Starlight Children's Foundation and was a reporter for the Sydney based program Weekend.  During the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka, he was also seen across the nation as a reporter on A Current Affair. Kieren was a partner in his own business development and training firm, offering companies advice on leadership and organisational culture. 

In 2010 National Australia Bank appointed him as Head of Private Clients and Business Development in Queensland.

Kieren Perkins talks about:

An impressive speaker, Kieren's draws on his experiences to inspire audiences to work as a team, set goals, create pathways to achieve them then deliver - regardless of pressures and distractions. He motivates and inspires self belief.