Shane Gould Travels from Launceston, TAS

Topics

Achievements
After Dinner
Female Speaker
Motivational
Olympian
Resilience
Sport
Swimming

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Nearly 30 years after her golden triumphs at the 1972 Munich Olympics, Shane Gould is still a household name throughout her native Australia and wherever people take an interest in swimming. The only person, male or female, to hold every world freestyle record from 100m to 1500m simultaneously, and the only swimmer ever to win three Olympic Gold Medals in world record time, her career was short but dramatic.

She burst onto the scene as a 13-year-old. Four years and 11 world records later, she retired. By the age of six she was a competent swimmer. Qualifying for the Munich Olympics in seven individual events, the media speculated that Shane was "taking on too much" by entering five. She finished with three Gold, a Silver and a Bronze. Officially designated a "Living National Treasure", and a recipient of the 2003 Centenary medal Shane Gould is known by all she touches for her generous heart.

While Tasmania is her base, Shane travels extensively throughout Australia, USA and Europe, and has been to 34 countries. For three years Shane has owned and operated a self contained holiday accommodation business on the East coast of Tasmania. She has also organised the annual ocean swim the ‘Devil of a Swim’ for four years in Bicheno. Shane is on the board of directors of the Devil Island Project (part of Save the Devil program) and Against Malaria Foundation. She is ambassador for Ocean Planet, working toward more marine protected areas in Tasmania.

Shane challenged herself again in 2018, and after fifty days on a remote island, Shane was crowned the winner of Australian Survivor: Champions V Contenders 2018.