Full Name
Cate Campbell OAM
Job Title
Olympic Gold Medalist and one of Australia’s most decorated swimmers
Speaker Bio
The eldest of five Campbell children, Cate was born in Malawi and was taught to swim in Lake Malawi by her mother, Jenny, a former synchronised swimmer.
When the family moved to Australia in 2001, nine-year-old Cate, along with her sister Bronte, joined the Indooroopilly Swimming Club in Brisbane and quickly fell in love with competitive swimming.
Cate’s dominance in the pool began early. At just 13 years old, she won two gold medals at the Australian Age Championships, putting herself firmly on the national radar as a rising talent.
By age 16, she had broken the Australian and Commonwealth records in the 50m freestyle and earned selection for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. There, she demonstrated remarkable composure, winning bronze medals in both the 50m freestyle and 4 x 100m freestyle relay.
She continued her momentum with a bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships before setting her sights on the London 2012 Olympics, where she became an Olympic champion as part of Australia’s gold medal-winning 4 x 100m freestyle team.
In 2013, Cate claimed her first individual World Championship gold in the 100m freestyle, alongside three silver medals across multiple events, including relays with her sister Bronte.
Her success continued in 2014 at the Commonwealth Games, where she secured three gold medals. In 2015, she added another World Championship gold in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay, alongside a bronze in the 100m freestyle and a short-course world record.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Cate won her second Olympic gold in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay, with the team breaking their own world record. She also took home silver in the 4 x 100m medley relay. Despite these achievements, she returned home disappointed with her individual performances and took time away from the sport, while still managing to break another short-course world record.
Cate returned strongly in 2018 at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, winning three gold medals, including an unexpected victory in the 50m butterfly.
In 2019, she delivered another outstanding year, winning five medals at the World Championships and claiming the overall title at the FINA Swimming World Cup. She also played a key role in the inaugural International Swimming League with the London Roar.
In 2021, Cate qualified for her fourth Olympic Games, joining an elite group of Australian swimmers to achieve this milestone. She was also named Australia’s flag bearer for the Tokyo Olympics. At the Games, she won bronze in the 100m freestyle and was part of two historic relay teams, including the gold medal-winning 4 x 100m freestyle team and the victorious 4 x 100m medley relay.
Across her Olympic career, Cate secured eight medals, placing her among Australia’s most decorated swimmers.
Cate retired from competitive swimming in 2024, narrowly missing qualification for her fifth Olympic Games. She still attended the Paris Olympics as part of Nine’s commentary team and continued her role through the Paralympics.
Following a diagnosis of stage one melanoma, Cate has become a passionate advocate for sun safety and regular skin checks, and is an ambassador for the Melanoma Institute Australia.
In 2021, Cate co-authored Sister Secrets: Life Lessons from the Pool to the Podium with her sister Bronte.
Since retiring, she has remained active through ambassador roles with Quest Apartment Hotels and Avène Skincare. She is now enjoying more time with family and friends, travelling internationally, delivering keynote presentations, and is set to complete the Australian Institute of Company Directors course.
When the family moved to Australia in 2001, nine-year-old Cate, along with her sister Bronte, joined the Indooroopilly Swimming Club in Brisbane and quickly fell in love with competitive swimming.
Cate’s dominance in the pool began early. At just 13 years old, she won two gold medals at the Australian Age Championships, putting herself firmly on the national radar as a rising talent.
By age 16, she had broken the Australian and Commonwealth records in the 50m freestyle and earned selection for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. There, she demonstrated remarkable composure, winning bronze medals in both the 50m freestyle and 4 x 100m freestyle relay.
She continued her momentum with a bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships before setting her sights on the London 2012 Olympics, where she became an Olympic champion as part of Australia’s gold medal-winning 4 x 100m freestyle team.
In 2013, Cate claimed her first individual World Championship gold in the 100m freestyle, alongside three silver medals across multiple events, including relays with her sister Bronte.
Her success continued in 2014 at the Commonwealth Games, where she secured three gold medals. In 2015, she added another World Championship gold in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay, alongside a bronze in the 100m freestyle and a short-course world record.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Cate won her second Olympic gold in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay, with the team breaking their own world record. She also took home silver in the 4 x 100m medley relay. Despite these achievements, she returned home disappointed with her individual performances and took time away from the sport, while still managing to break another short-course world record.
Cate returned strongly in 2018 at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, winning three gold medals, including an unexpected victory in the 50m butterfly.
In 2019, she delivered another outstanding year, winning five medals at the World Championships and claiming the overall title at the FINA Swimming World Cup. She also played a key role in the inaugural International Swimming League with the London Roar.
In 2021, Cate qualified for her fourth Olympic Games, joining an elite group of Australian swimmers to achieve this milestone. She was also named Australia’s flag bearer for the Tokyo Olympics. At the Games, she won bronze in the 100m freestyle and was part of two historic relay teams, including the gold medal-winning 4 x 100m freestyle team and the victorious 4 x 100m medley relay.
Across her Olympic career, Cate secured eight medals, placing her among Australia’s most decorated swimmers.
Cate retired from competitive swimming in 2024, narrowly missing qualification for her fifth Olympic Games. She still attended the Paris Olympics as part of Nine’s commentary team and continued her role through the Paralympics.
Following a diagnosis of stage one melanoma, Cate has become a passionate advocate for sun safety and regular skin checks, and is an ambassador for the Melanoma Institute Australia.
In 2021, Cate co-authored Sister Secrets: Life Lessons from the Pool to the Podium with her sister Bronte.
Since retiring, she has remained active through ambassador roles with Quest Apartment Hotels and Avène Skincare. She is now enjoying more time with family and friends, travelling internationally, delivering keynote presentations, and is set to complete the Australian Institute of Company Directors course.
