Mark Stockwell facts for kids

Mark William Stockwell (born 5 July 1963) is an Australian former competitive swimmer. He won three silver medals at the Olympic Games. Mark is from Queensland and was great at freestyle sprint races. He had a very successful international swimming career in the mid-1980s. This included competing in the Olympics, Pan Pacific Championships, and Commonwealth Games. After he stopped swimming professionally, he became a successful business leader. He has also been involved in managing national sports groups in Australia.

Early Life and School

Mark Stockwell was born and grew up in Brisbane, Queensland. His parents are Bill and Necia Stockwell. He finished high school in 1980 at St Laurence's College in Brisbane. This is a Roman Catholic school for boys.

Mark received a scholarship from the Australian Institute of Sport from 1982 to 1984. He also got one again in 1987. He studied business and engineering at the University of Queensland. He also took economics classes at the Australian National University. Later, he went to the University of Florida in the United States.

Mark's Swimming Career

Mark Stockwell won three medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

1984 Olympics: A Close Race

In the men's 100-metre freestyle race, Mark finished in 50.24 seconds. He won a silver medal. The American swimmer Rowdy Gaines won the gold medal with an Olympic record time of 49.80 seconds.

This race was a bit controversial. The starter gun went off too early. Rowdy Gaines started very quickly. His coach knew the starter often fired the gun almost immediately. This gave Gaines a head start of about one metre. Mark Stockwell and the Australian team protested, but their protest was not accepted. Videos showed Mark was not ready when the gun fired.

Team Medals and "Mean Machine"

Mark and his teammates Greg Fasala, Neil Brooks, and Michael Delany won another silver medal. This was in the men's 4×100-metre freestyle relay. They finished in 3:19.68. This was just a little behind the Americans, who set a new world record.

He also won a bronze medal in the 4×100-metre medley relay. He swam the freestyle part of the race. His teammates were Mark Kerry (backstroke), Peter Evans (breaststroke), and Glenn Buchanan (butterfly). They finished behind the American and Canadian teams.

The Australian media called Mark and his freestyle relay teammates the "Mean Machine." Mark Stockwell was the only Australian athlete to win three Olympic medals in 1984.

Swimming in College and Beyond

After the Olympics, Mark went to the University of Florida in the United States. He swam for the Florida Gators swimming and diving team. He won three titles in the Southeastern Conference. He also earned "All-American" honors for his great performance.

While at the university, he met his future wife, Tracy Caulkins. She was also a swimmer for the Gators. They had first met at the 1984 Olympics.

Mark continued his success at the 1985 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Tokyo. He won a bronze medal in the 50-metre freestyle. He also placed fourth in the 100-metre freestyle.

By the time of the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, his times were a bit slower than his Olympic performances. However, he still won a gold medal with his Australian teammates in the 4×100-metre relay. He finished seventh in the 100-metre freestyle. Mark retired from competitive swimming in 1986. In 1989, The Age newspaper named him one of Australia's top three swimmers of the 1980s.

Life After Swimming

Mark Stockwell married American swimmer Tracy Caulkins in 1991. Tracy is also a three-time Olympic gold medallist. They live in Brisbane with their five children.

Mark received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000 for his swimming achievements. In 2009, he was added to the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame.

Business and Property

Mark is the managing director of a family business called W. A. Stockwell Pty Ltd. This company works in property development, investment, and management. He and his brother-in-law Mike Kelso own the company together. Mark's parents started the company over sixty years ago as a construction business. The company has built many successful residential, retail, and commercial properties. In 2014, Mark and his family were listed among Australia's "Rich List."

Sports and Community Work

Mark Stockwell is on the board of directors for the Australian Sports Commission. He is also the deputy chairman of the board. He is the chairman of the Australian Sports Foundation. This is a non-profit group that raises money for Australian sports projects.

He used to be the chairman of the committee for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. He led the committee through the successful process to win the bid. He is also the chairman of Trade and Investment Queensland. This is a government program that helps with foreign investment and exports for Queensland.

Mark is also involved in charity work. He is a trustee of the St Laurence's Old Boys' Foundation. This foundation helps fund scholarships for boys whose families cannot afford tuition at his old high school. He and his wife also created the Stockwell Foundation. This charity helps children who are at risk.

In April 2022, Mark ran for president of the Australian Olympic Committee. He wanted to take over from John Coates, but he lost the election to Ian Chesterman.

Political Support

Mark Stockwell supports the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. During the 2019 Australian federal election, he made a donation to the Liberal National Party of Queensland.

See also

In Spanish: Mark Stockwell para niños

• List of Australian Olympic medallists in swimming
• List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (men)
• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
• List of University of Florida Olympians