Kieren Perkins Travels from Melbourne, VIC

Topics

Achievements
After Dinner
Goal Setting
Motivational
Olympian
Sport
Swimming
Team Sport

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Kieren Perkins OAM is a celebrated Australian Olympian known for his remarkable swimming career. He won two Olympic gold medals in the 1500m freestyle (1992, 1996) and two silver medals, while setting 11 world records and over 40 Australian records.

His swimming journey began at age eight, initially as a form of rehabilitation for a leg injury. Under the guidance of coach John Carew, he quickly emerged as a prodigious talent.

At the 1992 Australian Olympic trials, he made headlines by breaking world records in the 400m and 1500m freestyle events. Later that year, he won gold and silver medals at the Barcelona Olympics. His memorable performance in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where he won the 1500m freestyle from lane eight, solidified his status as a sporting legend.

Kieren became the first swimmer to hold Olympic, World, Commonwealth, and Pan Pacific titles simultaneously in the 1500m freestyle category and played a pivotal role in securing the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games for Australia.

After retiring from competitive swimming, he transitioned into the business world, joining National Australia Bank where he held senior roles. In 2021, he became CEO of Australian Unity Bank. He served on multiple boards, such as Swimming Australia, the Australian Sports Commission, and the Starlight Children's Foundation, among others. He also holds an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Queensland.

In 2022, Kieren was appointed CEO of the Australian Sports Commission, where he is dedicated to building a more inclusive and sustainable sporting system. His initiatives, including the High Performance 2032+ Sport Strategy and the Win Well framework, emphasize athlete wellbeing and integrity, preparing Australia for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games. Kieren Perkins continues to make a significant positive impact on Australian sports.

Keynote Titles

Transformational leadership; building winning teams and cultures
Mindsets for elite performance
Adaptability; transitioning to the corporate world - lessons learnt from an Olympic journey
Kieren’s story of his Olympic journey

Testimonials

Kieren was above expectation - extremely professional, friendly and courteous, and made himself available to mix with delegates afterwards. He spoke about his experiences, and related them easily to the layman and business person alike. Very articulate. Delegates commented, without solicitation, on how they believe Kieren was the best they had heard.

Radio West