For most of her life, Bronte Campbell‘s days revolved around early alarms, endless laps and the pursuit of excellence. But after more than 15 years representing Australia on the world stage, the champion swimmer has announced she’s retiring from competitive swimming.
Bronte shared a beautiful thank you letter to swimming on her Instagram this morning, Sunday, 7 June. From her first experiences in a lake in Malawi to swimming for the green and gold, aka the Olympics.
“Water can shape mountains; it surely shaped me,” she says in the letter.
In 2026, her year was already packed. She married her long-term partner, Benfield Lainchbury, raised $1 million for her athleticwear brand, Earthletica, and shared her recovery from ACL surgery.
She also launched the podcast Campbells & Co with her sister, fellow Olympian, Cate Campbell. The podcast launched in January 2026 and explores life through the lens of elite sport, featuring conversations with Australian Olympians and Paralympians about performance, pressure, identity and life beyond competition.
Her and Benfield’s wedding took place on a floating boat villa off Palm Beach in Sydney in April 2026. The couple had been engaged since August 2024 after Benfield proposed in Venice following the Paris Olympics.
As she prepares for life beyond elite sport, I sat down with Bronte to reflect on the highs and lows of her extraordinary career, the lessons she’s learned and why now feels like the right time to dive into something new.
You’ve had a hectic 2026, weddings (including your own), $1m capital raise for Earthletica and of course, your ACL surgery, now your retirement from professional swimming. Why have you decided to retire now? Why is the time right?
It has been a hectic start to the year! My life feels very full in all the best ways. I always knew my deadline for deciding whether to pursue LA or whether to step away from my swimming career would be June/July 2026. If I decided to go back to the pool, I’d need to start training this month to give myself a two-year preparation and the best chance of doing well in LA. Since Paris, I have gone back and forth many times on the decision; while it feels right, that doesn’t mean it was easy to make!
In sport, I always loved a challenge, and I found a sense of purpose. Now, creating workout gear that is better for women’s bodies and the planet is giving me both of those things. And the time just felt right to move into the next chapter of my life.
Did your recent injury and ACL surgery recovery factor into your retirement decision?
It really didn’t! I know I can handle injury, and as far as injuries go, this one is very straightforward. The recovery has been better than I expected, and swimming has actually been part of my rehab routine. I have no doubt that it would have added an extra challenge if I were beginning training again, but I don’t think it’s anything my team and I couldn’t figure out.
In 2024, you shared that after Tokyo 2021, you considered retirement and thought you were “done in the pool”; however, you returned to great success. Was there a moment in a recent competition where you felt you were done?
I didn’t know Paris would be my last Games. I still love racing, I still love the art of perfecting and constantly trying to get faster. But do I want it enough to sacrifice in so many other parts of my life? That’s the question that has taken 18 months to answer.
When you look back on your swimming career, what achievement are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of the length of my career. I feel like there were two halves: before injury and after injury. That I was able to continue my career for eight years after a shoulder injury is something that I’ll always be proud of. It took almost two years to figure out how to swim fast again, but it was a testament to my team and to our perseverance that I was able to go on and swim my fastest times while injured.
What are you looking forward to most about retirement?
Watching the Olympics! The last Summer Games I watched without the stomach churning nerves that accompany every Games was 2008. I cannot wait to watch the stories and journeys of my former teammates and celebrate their efforts.
Also, I won’t miss smelling like chlorine every day. I still get in the water most days, but now it is in the ocean.
Will a part of you miss the hectic training schedules?
I will not miss how inflexible training is! I have missed so many weddings, birthdays and celebrations because training and competitions can never be moved. It has been the organising feature of my life since I was seven years old. It is wonderful to have more freedom.
Will Earthletica be a major focus for you now that professional swimming is over?
Earthletica is now my main focus; we’ve spent so long getting the product, supply chain and fabric right. Now I can’t wait for more people to experience it and for us to grow our community. So many of my favourite people and moments in my life have come to me through movement; I cannot wait for others to experience this too.
Congratulations on raising $1m capital for Earthletica!
Thank you, raising from the community was so special, it showed how many people believe in our vision.
What were you hoping to achieve with the activewear brand? What sets it apart from other activewear brands?
At Earthletica, we want to change how activewear is made forever. We’re starting to use recycled and organic materials and testing them to be free of chemicals. But that’s not the end. There is so much innovation in this space and a real need to create more natural fabrics that can provide the stretch, compression and sweat-wicking that great workout gear needs. We’re actively pursuing these solutions.
We know movement is such an escape for our community; it’s often the only time they have to themselves in their busy lives. We want to spread that joy of movement to more people, and apart from our fabrics, we’re different in that we’re designed by women and tailored for women’s bodies.
What advice would you give to someone who’s making a major life decision?
If you can, take the time to sit with it. Envision both futures as best you can. Talk to people about it, try on those different futures, go for a walk in nature and let the answer come to you. I often like to ask myself, ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ And then know that whatever you choose, you will make work. There is no way to test how each decision would have turned out, and looking back and trying to guess is maddening.
What would you say to young Bronte about stepping into professional swimming?
I’d say hold on! It’s going to be a wild ride!
Bronte and her sister Cate Campbell joined Tiffany Dunk on The Australian Women’s Weekly Love Stories couch to talk all about their sibling love, rivalry and support.
“It’s also an incredible privilege to go out and do that,” Bronte says of being able to represent Australia in the Olympics. “I never take for granted when you walk out, and you’ve got the crest on this side, and you’re wearing the green and gold. And I mean, I used to say this very flippantly, but it’s actually how I feel. It’s like you’ve got the weight of a nation on your shoulders. But you’ve got the strength of a nation holding you up.”
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