Inductee - Greg Brough

Greg Brough

Greg Brough

Swimming

Greg Brough was the first Gold Coast born Olympic medalist and the second Gold Coast Olympian. It was a swimming career that started as physiotherapy for Golden Staph Pneumonia which he contracted at the age of seven.

Greg's father Neville coached him in their 25 metre motel pool at Mermaid Beach and before he knew it Greg was starting to post competitive times at club night at the Southport pool. In the next five years he'd outswim everyone in the area and at the age of twelve needed to train in more competitive surroundings. So during school holidays he would travel to Sydney to train under Frank Guthrie (coach of multiple World Champion and World Record Holder Lorraine Crapp.)

Greg joined Guthrie's squad as the junior but after two years earned his stripes, and again needed a more challenging training environment. He continued to train on the Gold Coast under his father but in 1966 switched his training in Sydney to Don Talbot - now Head Coach for Australian Swimming.

Greg spent up to six weeks at a time away from home in billeted care, just so he could achieve his dream of competing for Australia. That realisation came in 1968 when as a 17 year old he was chosen to represent his country at the Mexico Olympic Games. His debut at the Olympics was a success after he won bronze in the 1500 metres freestyle and placed fourth in the 400 metres freestyle.

He continued to divide his time between the Gold Coast and Sydney in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games in Edinborough in 1970. He was again selected to represent his country and this time his results were the reverse of those in Mexico. He won bronze in the 400 metres freestyle and placed fourth in the 1500 metres freestyle before retiring from competitive swimming.

Greg Brough won nineteen Queensland Championships and five national gold medals setting one Australian and thirty state records along the way. He also achieved Queensland and Australian surf lifesaving titles over his illustrious career.

Inductees