Lara Davenport – Swimming – 2008
In her own words, Lara Davenport spends her days “providing pathways for people to optimise their health, development and wellbeing”. Having optimised her own potential to snare an Olympic gold medal, it’s a topic she knows all about.
After gaining a scholarship to the NSW Institute of Sport in 1999, Davenport became a regular fixture on the international swimming circuit. She made her first major Australian team for the 2005 World Championships where she won a silver medal as a heat swimmer in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay.
A career-defining move to Kingscliff followed in 2006, with a back injury forcing her to specialise in freestyle events and ultimately leading to her successfully qualifying for the 2008 Olympics as a member of the 4x200m freestyle relay.
In Beijing, Davenport swam the crucial final leg in the relay heats and demonstrated her ability to perform under pressure by posting a personal best time on the Olympic stage. When the first-choice team won the final in world record time, she joined them as gold medal winners.
Since graduating from Bond University with a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) in 2012, Davenport has established herself as an expert in health, leadership and community development and continues to actively mentor and assist other athletes to reach the pinnacle of their sports.