First published 7 November 2025
Four-time Olympian and business leader Bronte Campbell OAM OLY has been named a 2025 QUT Outstanding Sports Alumnus, recognising her achievements in and out of the pool.
The honour was announced last night at the annual QUT Outstanding Alumni Awards at the university’s Gardens Point campus in Brisbane.
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil said she was proud to recognise and celebrate Ms Campbell as an Outstanding Sports Alumnus but also acknowledged her legacy goes far beyond the pool.
“She is a champion of sport, sustainability and social impact. Her drive, leadership and advocacy have not only transformed swimming in Australia, but also made meaningful contributions to range of causes,” Professor Sheil said.
Ms Campbell graduated from QUT in 2022 with a Bachelor of Business (Public Relations) while competing internationally as part of the Australian Dolphins swim team.
“After I finished school, I didn’t exactly know which areas of study I wanted to get into, but I knew that QUT did really well in its business department. I’d always been interested in business,” she said.
“Obviously, I was studying alongside my career in the pool, so I needed a supportive environment that allowed me to be absent for 10 weeks of the semester while I was competing overseas and still be able to get my assignments in and my work done. I really found at QUT that that was the case.”
A dual Olympic gold medallist, Ms Campbell is one of only five Australian swimmers to have competed at four Olympic Games. She has also won five World Championship and five Commonwealth Games gold medals.
Since stepping back from elite competition, Ms Campbell has focused her energy on business and advocacy.
In 2024 she co-founded Earthletica, a sustainable activewear brand built around performance, innovation and environmental responsibility, alongside fellow QUT alumni Libby Babet and Chris Raleigh.
She said the hands-on learning approach at QUT helped her connect classroom concepts to real-world outcomes.
“Because of my time at QUT, I was able to put structures around my ideas, particularly when I started moving into making my own business,” she said.
“To be able to organise and prioritise is the most important thing to be effective. I definitely learnt that while I was at QUT.”
Alongside her professional pursuits, Campbell is an ambassador for Deaf Children Australia’s Puggles Swim program and Rainbow Club Australia, both supporting children with disabilities to learn and enjoy swimming.
She also helped raise $90,000 for Carers Australia during her appearance on Celebrity Apprentice Australia and continues to champion initiatives that promote inclusion and wellbeing.
“I was really not expecting to be recognised by QUT,” Ms Campbell said.
“It’s great to be part of this group … very unexpected, but very lovely.”
Learn more about the 2025 Outstanding Alumni Awards winners.
Information about studying business at QUT and the Elite Sport Program can be found online.
Media contact:
Lauren Baxter
QUT Media
media@qut.edu.au
07 3138 2361 / 0407 585 901 (After Hours)
