Bronte Campbell

UNCLE TOBYS Ambassador since 2012

SNAPSHOT

Career Highlights

2012 London Olympic Games:
Semi Finalist – 50m Freestyle

• Coming fourth in the 50m Freestyle at the 2011 Australian Championships
• Winning Gold in the 50m Freestyle and Bronze in the 100m Freestyle at the World Junior Championships in Lima in 2011.
• Qualifying for the London Olympics alongside my sister Cate (2012).

A Day in the Life

Drag myself out of bed at 4:30 am for a 5:00 am training start. Two hours later, return home and after eating UNCLE TOBYS Oats for breakfast, try and get in an hour or so of sleep. By 4:00 pm that afternoon, it’s back to the pool for stretching before training at 5.00 pm til 7.00 pm. Then its home again for dinner and early bed – to get up and do it all again.

Training Tips

• Go to bed early, it’s worth it in the morning.
• Always eat something after you train (I love the BODYWISE bars).
• Never argue with your coach – it doesn’t end well and they are only trying to get the best out of you.

London Olympic Events

50m Freestyle.

Training Preparation For London Olympics

To prepare for the Olympics, I will be training 9-10 sessions a week including three gym sessions. In the mornings as well as the afternoons, we swim for two hours at a time starting at 5am and then again at 5pm.

Which event/race are you most looking forward to taking part in this Olympics?
The 50m Freestyle. As well as being the only event I’m entered in, it is the most fun and if you get in the final – anyone can win.

Which race that you are not swimming in is your favourite to watch?
The men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay is always an exciting race and this year the Australians have a great team that should be able to give the Americans a run for their money.

Besides swimming what other events at the Olympics do you love to watch?
I love watching both the diving and the gymnastics because I think the way they move their bodies is just amazing. I also love the pole vault and love watching both the men and women sprint track events.

Which team or individuals do you need to watch out for?
I need to watch out for my big sister Cate (of course), as well as Ranomi Kromowidjojo (Netherlands) and defending Olympic champion Britta Steffen (Germany).

How did you get into your sport and how old were you?
Coming from hot Africa, I always swum; but it was when I was seven and we moved to Australia within walking distance of a pool, that I decided to start training. This was the year after the Sydney Olympics and all I wanted was to be an Olympian one day.

What’s the best and worst thing about your sport?
The best thing about swimming is the opportunities and experiences that you can’t get anywhere else; all the places you get to see and the amazing people you get to meet. The worst thing is definitely early mornings in winter; when it’s 5.00 am, dark and cold the last thing you want to do is jump in a pool.

What’s your secret weapon?
Ice bath. Unpleasant as it is, it is the thing that keeps me going in competition and during training. Our ice bath is set at 10 degrees.

What are the four most important things to do if you want to win?
If you want to win, first you have to really, really want it – more than anything. Then you have to work hard for it, every day in every training session. Thirdly, you have to do all the little things that no one else does. And when it comes time to race you have to believe that you can win and never look back.

What’s the best advice your coach or fellow athletes have given you?
Before each race, my coach Simon simply says “see you at the other end.”

Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met and who would you love to meet?
The most famous person that I have met is Darren Lockyer and I would love meet Usian Bolt in the Olympic Village.

What’s something about you that most people don’t know?
I used to have a pet pig.