Australian swimming great Cate Campbell has traded her racing goggles for a wedding dress, marrying longtime partner Adam Kerr in an intimate ceremony on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
The four-time Olympic gold medallist, 34, said “I do” to Adam at Palm Creek Estate in the Noosa Hinterland on Saturday, August 29, surrounded by their closest family and friends.
For Cate, who retired from elite swimming in 2024 after a remarkable career spanning four Olympic Games, the wedding marks another milestone in a very different chapter of her life.
Her sister, Bronte Campbell, who recently retired from professional swimming, was one of the bridesmaids and shared some behind-the-scenes photos from the day.
The couple, who had been together for several years, became engaged in July 2025 after Adam proposed during a sunrise walk at their local beach.
Cate later revealed that the proposal had been a complete surprise.
“Last Saturday while watching the sun rise at our new local beach, Adam turned and said: ‘Cate, I have a question for you,’” she wrote at the time. Rather than asking about their new home, their garden or what they should have for dinner, Kerr got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.
Adam, a geologist and geotechnical engineer, has remained largely out of the spotlight throughout their relationship. Cate has previously joked that when they first met, he claimed not to know who she was, despite her status as one of Australia’s most decorated swimmers.
“He didn’t know who I was and he maintains he never Googled me – he wasn’t star-struck!” she shared with the Sydney Morning Herald.
The pair have since built a life together on the Sunshine Coast, with Cate embracing a slower pace after stepping away from the pool.
“I feel happiest when I can be outside and close to the water,” she told Woman’s Day previously, describing the period after retirement as an opportunity to prioritise lifestyle and wellbeing over her career. That relaxed approach appears to have extended to their wedding day.
She wore a custom gown by Sunshine Coast designer Gemma Leakey. And there was one particularly important member of the family who wasn’t going to miss out: Campbell and Kerr’s beloved cocker spaniel, George.
“Watching my big sister marry her man, what an absolute joy. We’ve done a lot of things together, this is probably my fave,” Bronte wrote of her sister’s wedding. “So proud of her and the life she’s built with Adam (and George 🐶). So much joy and love in one space.”
Cate and Bronte joined our deputy editor Tiffany Dunk on an episode of the Love Stories podcast to speak about their lives post-swimming. Cate spoke about her then-upcoming nuptials to her now-husband, whom Bronte called her sister’s “rock”.
“I never take him for granite,” Cate joked of her geologist partner in the episode.
“He doesn’t have any involvement in sport, which is really nice and refreshing. He brings a lot of love and a lot of joy, and I have recently got a puppy…George, who I’m obsessed with.”
Listen to the podcast here or watch it below.
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