Grant Hackett OAM
Olympic Champion, Leadership & High-Performance Speaker
A former Olympic swimmer, Grant now brings rare insight into peak performance, pressure management, team culture and long-term success. His keynote presentations blend elite sporting experience with real-world business leadership — offering practical strategies for navigating change, building resilience and performing under pressure.
Quick Contact
Grant Hackett OAM is one of Australia’s most iconic swimming champions and a global benchmark in distance freestyle. Across three Olympic Games, he secured seven medals — including two historic golds in the 1500m freestyle — and amassed an extraordinary 32 Olympic and World Championship medals, second only to American great Michael Phelps.
Dubbed the “New King” of distance swimming after his breakthrough victory at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Grant went on to dominate the 1500m freestyle for almost a decade. He became the first man in history to win four consecutive World Championship titles in the event (1998, 2001, 2003, 2005) and claimed his second Olympic crown in Athens in 2004, achieved while competing with a partially collapsed lung.
Despite significant challenges — including shoulder surgery, back issues and exercise-induced asthma — Grant’s determination saw him return to the Olympic podium in Beijing with silver in the 1500m and bronze in the 4x200m freestyle. A respected leader, he was voted the first and only Australian Swimming Team Captain for the 2008 Games.
Grant’s contribution to Australian sport has been widely recognised. He has received the Centenary Medal, the Australian Sports Medal, and the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), and has been named Swimming Australia’s Male Distance Swimmer of the Year multiple times, along with the Telstra People’s Choice Award.
Beyond his athletic achievements, Grant has built a successful corporate career. He has served as Head of Priority Markets at Westpac, worked as a television presenter with the Nine Network, and is currently the CEO of Generation Life. He holds a Diploma of Financial Services and has undertaken an Executive MBA. A strong advocate for youth mental health, he was part of the launch of Headspace in 2006.
Grant continues to represent leading brands as an ambassador and contributes to community organisations including the Preston James Research Fund and the Surf Life Saving Foundation.
