Courtney Atkinson – Triathlon – 2008, 2012
Bachelor of Commerce
As a youngster, Courtney Atkinson would train for cross country events in a pine forest at the back of the Bond University campus. As a professional athlete, he would benefit from the institution in a far different manner.
“They just managed things to help me succeed in sport,” the legendary triathlete says of receiving a Bond sports scholarship from 1997 to 2000.
“I was travelling and having to live overseas to race, and the university was able to not give me an easy pathway but help facilitate when it made sense for me to do my exams late … I got amazing support.”
That support helped Atkinson establish himself as one of Australia’s most decorated triathletes.
Having announced his potential with a world junior championship and four consecutive junior national titles, he forged a senior career that included multiple World Cup victories and three Australian Triathlete of the Year crowns.
He joined the Olympic ranks in 2008 when he qualified for the Australian triathlon team, finishing 11th at Athens, and became a two-time Olympian in 2012 with an 18th placing in the London event.
Graduating from Bond with a Commerce degree, Atkinson has used his business nous to create a highly success post-triathlon career as a product and outdoor content marketing expert who works with the likes of Red Bull to help grow their brands.