Cate Campbell and Bronte Campbell were two of several Australian Olympians who have visited schools throughout the country since Rio to help inspire youngsters to chase their dreams. The Campbell sisters both visited primary schools in Belconnen this week.
“It reminds you that you can inspire the next generation, maybe not to be an Olympian but be whatever they dream of being,” Campbell told the Canberra Times.
In Rio both sisters were favourites to medals in the sprint freestyle events after Bronte won the two events at the 2015 World Championships and Cate broke the 100 freestyle world record in July, but both came home with no hardware in their individual events. Despite the lackluster performances in the 50 and 100 freestyle the sisters won gold as part of the Australians 4 x 100 freestyle relay, which set a new world record and Cate earned a silver as part of the 4 x 100 medley relay.
Visiting local schools to provide inspiration to youngsters is a way for Cate to say thank you after she has expressed several times during and after the Games that the support of the Australian public has kept her spirits high, “It’s been incredibly tough but in saying that the support I have received has been overwhelming and that’s what really touched me,” Cate Campbell told the AOC. “I don’t think I have ever received so many messages of support, and people have come up and called me a legend when I’ve felt like an idiot which I think is the highest of compliments.
“Having the nicest thing anyone said to me was and I can’t remember who it was but they said ‘people love gold medals but they love people more’ but to hear that was really, really touching for me.”
Two great women. It’s really too bad they didn’t exactly do too well. I don’t think anyone roots against them.
The Campbell sister are awesome. It kind of sucked they didn’t medal in any individual events at the Olympics. I suppose I have the same sentiment to the whole of Team Australia.
Bronte is so cute!
Agreed, Bronte is a cutie, and she’s very articulate in interviews, even if she does let Cate do the bulk of the talking, when the two of them are being interviewed at the same time. Cate is a self-confessed control freak, and Bronte cedes control of the TV remote to Cate all the time, at home, so this is their normal dynamics at play. They really are a credit to their family.
The two of them have done a lot of thanking over the past couple of weeks, and faced the not so nice questions from critics with their usual brand of poise. They were prepared to face the music and admit their shortcomings in Rio (as opposed to… Read more »