Andrew James Baildon (born 25 August 1971) is an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

former

freestyle Freestyle may refer to: Brands * Reebok Freestyle, a women's athletic shoe * Ford Freestyle, an SUV automobile * Coca-Cola Freestyle, a vending machine * ICD Freestyle, a paintball marker * Abbott FreeStyle, a blood glucose monitor by Abbott La ...

and

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

swimming champion, who represented

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

in the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

and the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

Early life and family

Andrew was born on 25 August 1971, on the

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

. His father, Gary Baildon AM, was Mayor of the City of Gold Coast from 1997 to 2004, has been awarded Knight of Grace (Order of St John)
Doctor of the University (Griffith 2005)
The Centenary Medal, The 1995 Australian Tourism Council Award,

Paul Harris Fellow Paul Percy Harris (April 19, 1868 – January 27, 1947) was a Chicago, Illinois, attorney. He founded the club that became the humanitarian organisation Rotary International in 1905. Personal life Harris was born in Racine, Wisconsin, to Ge ...

(

Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, prof ...

), in 2010 Gary was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), is th
2016 Gold Coast Citizen of the Year
and returned to local government in 2016 as

Andrew has 2 sisters, Kate (deceased) and Anna. At the age of two, Andrew sank to the bottom of his family's pool and nearly drowned and his older sister, Kate, saved him. His mother, Kathy, promptly booked him into swimming lessons five days a week and so began his swimming career. Andrew studied at

The Southport School , motto_translation = Let him who deserves the palm of victory bear it. , established = , type = Independent early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school , denomination = Anglican , headmaster = Andrew Hawkins , ...

(TSS) from 1979 to 1988, was the Kaiser House Captain and School Foundation Prefect, attained TSS Sporting Colours in Year 9 and became Cadet Under Officer in th
TSS Cadets
As a 16-year-old schoolboy, Andrew was the youngest male selected to represent his country at an Olympics (Seoul 1988) since Australian swimming great

Michael Wenden Michael Vincent Wenden, (born 17 November 1949) is a champion swimmer who represented Australia in the 1968 Summer Olympics and 1972 Summer Olympics. In 1968 he won four medals: gold in both the 100- and 200-metre freestyle (setting world reco ...

(dual Olympic Swimming Gold Medallist, World Record Holder and Commonwealth Champion). As well as equalling Wenden's record of four gold medals at a single Commonwealth Games, Andrew became his son-in-law when he married Karen Wenden ( 1989 Miss Universe Miss Photogenic, Queensland state level swimming champion) a
The Southport School (TSS)
in 1998. Andrew was
Foundation Student
at

Bond University Bond University is Australia's first private not-for-profit university and is located in Robina, a suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland. Since its founding on 15 May 1989, Bond University has primarily been a teaching-focused higher ed ...

from 1989 to 1995, attaining a Bachelor in Communication (Marketing). Andrew and Karen have two children, a daughter, mode
Yasmin
and son, Flynn, a national level competitive swimmer.

Career

Andrew was a medalist at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand where he became the first swimmer in the Commonwealth to break the 50-second barrier for the 100 m freestyle, when he smashed his own Commonwealth record to win gold (49.80s), and the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada. He was a medalist in the 4

Pan Pacific Swimming Championships The Pan Pacific Swimming Championships is a long course swimming event first held in 1985.Australian Sports Medal The Australian Sports Medal is an award given to recognise achievements in Australian sport to commemorate Australian participation in major sporting events. Original recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, offi ...

for this service to sport. 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games: * Ambassador, Commonwealth Games Bid in St Kits & Nevis, instrumental in successfully bringing the 2018 Commonwealth Games to the Gold Coast, 2016 * Member of the Sport & Technical Committee * Chairman of the Athletes Advisory Board * Australian Commonwealth Games Team Attaché * Member of th
Queensland State Government's Legacy Committee

Australian Swimming

Board Member:
Australian Swimming
2018 (current)
Australian Sports Foundation
2018 (current) * ASCTA, 2018 Guest Speaker: * ASCTA Swim Conference, 2018 * National Australian Swim Conference, 2009

Australian Government – Australian Sports Foundation Limited

Board Member, 2018 (current)

Television

*FOX Sport Swimming Commentator: 2000

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

Swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

Trials *Channel 7 Expert Swimming Commentator: 2000 Sydney Olympic Games

Honours

Australian Sports Medal The Australian Sports Medal is an award given to recognise achievements in Australian sport to commemorate Australian participation in major sporting events. Original recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, offi ...

June 2000 *Sydney 2000 Olympic Torchbearer with his father Gary Baildon AM. Andrew was invited to light the Cauldron for the Gold Coast. *2006 Commonwealth Games Baton Relay, Melbourne *2018 Commonwealth Games Queens Baton Relay, Gold Coast *2018 Invited to "A Celebration of the Commonwealth" at Buckingham Palace, in the presence of the Queen and other members of the royal family. *2018 Awarded the Keys to The City of Brisbane with the Australian Commonwealth Games Team, 2018

Business

Andrew and his wife Karen operat
Baildon Group
encompassing
Andrew Baildon's Superfish Swim Schools
Brisbane and Gold Coast, specializing in "Learn to Swim" and Drowning Prevention programs.
Jetts Fitness Coomera

Jetts Fitness Pacific Pines

Jetts Fitness Pimpama
* Opened the inaugural Andrew Baildon Aquatic Centre on the Gold Coast in 1996 with wife Karen (daughter of swimming great Michael Wenden) teaching over 1000 children per week in the first year. * Bachelor of Business, Communication (Marketing), Bond University, 1989–1995 (Foundation Student)

Awards

* South-East Queensland Business Achievers Award for Sport and Recreation, 2006
Swim Australia Best Swim School for Marketing, Promotion and Customer Service, 2017

References

External links

Andrew Baildon's Superfish Swim Schools

Andrew Baildon's Superfish Swim Club

Profile on Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baildon, Andrew 1971 births Living people Olympic swimmers for Australia Australian male butterfly swimmers Swimmers at the 1988 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1990 Commonwealth Games Swimmers at the 1992 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Sportspeople from the Gold Coast, Queensland Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Australia Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming Australian male freestyle swimmers Medallists at the 1990 Commonwealth Games Medallists at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Sportsmen from Queensland