Grant Hackett – Swimming – 2000, 2004, 2008
MBA
Bond University’s Olympic alumni do not come bigger than Grant Hackett.
Considered one of the world’s greatest freestyle swimmers, the born-and-bred Gold Coaster is a three-time Olympian, multiple gold medal winner and was undefeated in the fabled 1500m from 1997 to 2006.
Hackett claimed his first Olympic gold at the 2000 Sydney Games when he overcame a virus and backing up from earlier events to take down crowd favourite Kieren Perkins. Four years later in Athens, he successfully defended his crown despite having a partially collapsed lung. He then came agonisingly close to securing a hat-trick when he finished second in the 1500m at the Beijing Games.
Along with collecting gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the Sydney Games, he set multiple world records including in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events.
The unrelenting drive Hackett had in the pool was also on show at Bond University where he graduated with Bachelors of Commerce/Law and Financial Services before undertaking an Executive MBA that has proved invaluable in his successful corporate career.
“I have always had a deep passion for running businesses and teams,” he says. “Throughout both my sporting and business career, I have always derived satisfaction out of achieving difficult and challenging goals.
“The underlying principles and behaviours of success in any field, whether it be sport or business, are exactly the same.”