Brett Peter Stocks

As a member of the St Patrick's swimming club in Launceston, Brett moved up the junior ranks winning numerous state titles. He came under serious consideration when Australia's top coaches and officials were in Hobart at the national championships in 1983, where he came close to a world record.

In 1983 Brett was offered an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship. During that time he came under the expert tuition of legendary coach, Joe King.

Selected in his first Australian team for the tri-meet against teams from Sweden and Germany in 1983, Brett won the 100-metres breaststroke and was a member of the gold-medal-winning medley relay team. The next big step forward came in the same year, when he was selected for the prestigious Pan Pacific championships in Tokyo. Brett came up against the top swimmers from Japan, Canada, the United States and other Pacific rim countries. Undaunted by the opposition, the young Tasmanian won a gold medal – again in his best event – the 100-metres breaststroke.

Further international representation followed, but Brett's career highlight occurred in 1984, when he was selected to swim for his country at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. On that world stage, he did well to make the final and finish a very credible 6th place.

In the following year Brett was selected as captain of the Australian swimming team, travelling to Europe for competition. He set an Australian record in the 200-metres breaststroke and was selected for his second Pan Pacific championships, again in Tokyo, where he won a silver medal. 1986 saw Brett win a place on the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games team, where he won a bronze medal.

In all of his international competitions Brett won a total of two gold medals, four silver and seven bronze, in one of the toughest sports an athlete could choose to compete. A medal in any competition in swimming is well-earned and deserving of commendation.

At all national titles in which he competed, Brett won ten gold medals, four silver and one bronze. As well, he added an Australian 50-metre short-course record to his list of accomplishments.

Brett retired from competitive swimming at the conclusion of the 1990 season. As an outstanding Tasmanian swimmer, Brett can reflect on a fantastic career, which is recognised in his induction into the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame.