Who Is Cate Campbell & Bronte Campbell’s Brother? Revealing How Australian Swimming Queens Support His Disability

Jenny Campbell, the proud mother of two of Australia’s greatest sporting siblings, is always beaming with pride for her daughters, Cate and Bronte Campbell. The four-time gold medallist Cate Campbell’s quest to become the first Australian swimmer to compete in five Olympics ended on June 15th with a seventh-place finish, tears, and an “incredibly special” post-race embrace with her rivals, cementing her legacy as a sporting great.

Meanwhile, her sister Bronte Campbell will compete in their fourth Olympics. Bronte also won three gold medals at the 2015 World Championships, including the 50 and 100-meter freestyle events. Behind their incredible careers lies a heartwarming story that will melt your heart.

Bronte Campbell is the second of five children born to Eric Campbell, an accountant, and Jenny Campbell, a nurse. Other than Cate, her older sister, she has two younger sisters, Jessica and Abigail, and a younger brother, Hamish, who has severe cerebral palsy and requires around-the-clock care. Jenny, who used to be a synchronized swimmer, taught her four daughters to swim. Bronte, who shares a birthday with Hamish, often sings to him when he wakes up upset at night, showing the close-knit and supportive family environment they grew up in.

Growing up with Hamish, who has limited communication abilities and the development of a one to three-year-old, has profoundly influenced the Campbell siblings. “I saw how important it is to have an inclusive environment and how important it is for a child that may be left behind, but also how important it is for the community as a whole,” Bronte said.

Cate also reflects on how Hamish’s condition has given her perspective. “Whenever we think that our lives are getting too hard, we look over at him and realize how good our lives are,” she told Fairfax Media in 2014. Hamish’s struggles and resilience have helped Cate relax and gain a reality check before competitions. “It’s a swimming race, and it’s really important to me, but there are only a few other people in the world who care about this, and no one’s going to get hurt if I fail except maybe me. So it’s definitely helped me relax going into competitions.”

‘My parents were very good at never making us think that Hamish should have been any other way than he was,‘ she told. Hamish’s presence shaped her profoundly. They  relocated to Australia to grant Hamish improved access to the support he needed. Witnessing his journey, alongside my family’s support, instilled her  the strength to navigate setbacks with determination. It’s the invaluable lessons learned from embracing challenges and moving forward that I credit to having Hamish as my brother. Now Hamish is 28 but Campbell family call it a miracle that he still surviving.

How her brother’s brave battle sparked Cate Campbell’s journey

In 2020, Cate speaking on the Feros Care podcast about her brother’s profound influence on her life, the swimmer revealed the family’s journey through near-loss and ongoing health battles. “The fact that he’s alive and still kicking on at 24-years-old is a miracle. Right from his birth, we feared losing him, and he’s faced significant health challenges since,” she shared. Despite the life-altering impact, Campbell emphasized that her family embraced the change positively. They normalized Hamish’s condition from the start, focusing on assistance rather than altering him, even finding humor in everyday situations like utilizing disabled parking spots. Moving from Malawi to Australia in 2001, they sought better care, marking a transformative shift in their lives, though outings required meticulous planning due to Hamish’s needs.

Campbell shed light on the stigma surrounding disabilities in Africa, citing superstitions and shame, contrasting it with the improved care available in Australia. Despite the challenges, she highlighted their acceptance of Hamish without frustration, crediting him for shaping her perspective on life with kindness and courage. Despite the ongoing health struggles, the Campbell family’s resilience shines through, manifesting acceptance and compassion in the face of adversity.