Mark Stockwell facts for kids

Mark William Stockwell (born 5 July 1963) is a famous Australian swimmer. He was an amazing freestyle sprint swimmer in the 1980s. Mark won three silver medals at the Olympic Games! He also did very well at other big swimming events like the Pan Pacific Championships and the Commonwealth Games. After he stopped swimming professionally, Mark became a successful business leader. He also helped manage sports groups in Australia.

Mark's Early Life and School

Mark Stockwell was born and grew up in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. His parents were Bill and Necia Stockwell. He went to St Laurence's College, a boys' high school in Brisbane, and finished in 1980.

Mark was a special student at the Australian Institute of Sport from 1982 to 1984, and again in 1987. This institute helps young athletes train and study. He also studied at the University of Queensland and the Australian National University in Australia. Later, he went to the University of Florida in the United States.

Mark's Amazing Swimming Career

Mark Stockwell won three medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. These were very important achievements for him.

Winning Silver in the 100m Freestyle

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

There was a bit of a problem in this race. The starting gun went off too early, and Gaines started very quickly. Videos showed that Mark was not ready when the gun fired. Mark and the Australian team complained, but the result stayed the same.

Team Medals: The "Mean Machine"

Mark also won two more medals with his teammates.

• 4x100m Freestyle Relay: Mark, along with Greg Fasala, Neil Brooks, and Michael Delany, won a silver medal. They finished in 3 minutes and 19.68 seconds. The American team set a new world record and won gold. The Australian media called Mark and his freestyle relay teammates the "Mean Machine."
• 4x100m Medley Relay: Mark also helped his team win a bronze medal in the 4x100-metre medley relay. He swam the last part of the race. His teammates were Mark Kerry, Peter Evans, and Glenn Buchanan.

Mark Stockwell was the only Australian athlete to win three Olympic medals in 1984. This was a huge achievement!

Swimming at University and Other Competitions

After the Olympics, Mark went to the University of Florida in the United States. He swam for the Florida Gators swimming and diving team in 1984–85. He won three big titles there and was named an All-American. While at university, he met his future wife, Tracy Caulkins, who was also a great swimmer. They had met at the 1984 Olympics.

Mark continued to compete after the Olympics:

• 1985 Pan Pacific Championships: He won a bronze medal in the 50-metre freestyle race in Tokyo.
• 1986 Commonwealth Games: In Edinburgh, he won a gold medal with his Australian teammates in the 4x100-metre relay.

Mark retired from competitive swimming in 1986. In 1989, a newspaper called The Age said he was one of the top three Australian swimmers of the 1980s.

Life After Swimming

Mark Stockwell married American swimmer Tracy Caulkins in 1991. Tracy was also an amazing swimmer and won three Olympic gold medals. They live in Brisbane, Australia, and have five children.

For his swimming achievements, Mark received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000. He was also added to the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame in 2009.

Business and Sports Leadership

Mark is now a managing director of his family's business, W. A. Stockwell Pty Ltd. This company works with property development and investments. His parents started the company over sixty years ago.

Mark also helps lead important sports groups in Australia:

• He 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 group helps raise money for sports projects in Australia.
• He used to be the chairman of the committee that helped Gold Coast win the bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
• He is also the chairman of Trade and Investment Queensland, which helps Queensland businesses trade with other countries.

Helping Others

Mark cares about helping young people.

• He is a trustee for the St Laurence's Old Boys' Foundation. This foundation helps boys whose families need financial help to attend his old school, St Laurence's College.
• He and his wife also have their own charity called the Stockwell Foundation. It helps children who are in need.

In April 2022, Mark ran for the president position of the Australian Olympic Committee. He lost the election to Ian Chesterman.

Mark's Political Views

Mark Stockwell supports the Liberal Party of Australia, which is a centre-right political party. He has made donations 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