Principled, intelligent, articulate and unapologetically himself. Mack Horton scaled the mountain across his decade at the very top of international swimming, from Olympic Gold to an unwavering stance on clean competition in sport.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Mack – who remains the only male swimmer from the state of Victoria to win an individual Olympic gold medal in Games history – began competitive swimming at the age of 10 after successfully overcoming his fear of the water.
In the pool, Mack amassed six gold medals across Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games in a 17-year career, highlighted by his win in the 400m Freestyle at the Rio Games in 2016.
Mack is also remembered for his resolute advocacy for clean sport, having refused to shake Sun Yang’s hand or stand on the winners’ podium at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships.
In February 2020, Sun Yang was issued an eight-year ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for tampering with the doping control process.
Mack’s tireless work has left an indelible mark on world swimming – a World, Commonwealth and Olympic champion he is renowned for his integrity, values, and courage to stand up for what he believes in.
Mack remains involved in the sport as President of the Australian Swimmers Association, a role he juggles alongside his new career as a Business Manager at Clemenger BBDO.
Talking Points
Conviction Takes Courage
Born and raised in Melbourne, Mack – who remains the only male swimmer from the state of Victoria to win an individual Olympic gold medal in Games history – began competitive swimming at the age of 10 after successfully overcoming his fear of the water.Conviction Takes Courage
In the pool, Mack amassed six gold medals across Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games in a 17-year career, highlighted by his win in the 400m Freestyle at the Rio Games in 2016. Mack is also remembered for his resolute advocacy for clean sport, having refused to shake Sun Yang’s hand or stand on the winners’ podium at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships
In February 2020, Sun Yang was issued an eight-year ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for tampering with the doping control process.
Key Takeaways: Principled, intelligent, articulate and unapologetically himself. Mack’s tireless work has left an indelible mark on world swimming – a World, Commonwealth and Olympic champion he is renowned for his integrity, values, and courage to stand up for what he believes in.
