Who’s Who in 2022, Sport: Brenden Hall

Brenden Hall brought a World Para Swimming bronze back home from Madeira – a remarkable achievement after days in COVID-19 isolation.

He clocked 4 minutes 15.97 seconds in the S9 400m freestyle to continue his amazing 15-year international career which has realised 21 medals on the world stage … so far.

Hall just missed a medal in the S9 400m freestyle at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and there were thoughts he may retire.

But, the Mango Hill resident who grew up at Petrie, pushed himself through months of hard training for the World Para Championships and Commonwealth Games this year.

COVID wrecked his program at the worlds, forcing Hall to isolate for a week during the championships, emerging just in time to help the S9 400m freestyle relay team to bronze.

Just weeks later, he was a creditable fifth in his less favoured S9 100m backstroke final at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

About Brenden Hall

It is hard to remember an Australian para swimming team without Brenden Hall. In fact, you have to back beyond the 2007 Arafura Games in Darwin.

Since that day, he has brought home 12 gold medals, two silver and seven bronze medals from the world titles, Paralympics and Commonwealth Games.

Hall was the youngest in Australia’s 2008 Beijing Paralympic team and broke the Games S9 400m freestyle record in his heat before finishing fifth in the final.

However, the template for success was for the towering teenager, who lost his right leg and 70 per cent of his hearing to complications from chicken pox at the age of six.

Hall, who went to Petrie State School and Pine Rivers State High School, initially relied on a wheelchair until approaching his teens when a prosthetic leg enabled him to walk.

But, it was in the pool where started to shine, training at Lawnton and now with the Belgravia team at Burpengary.

He won four golds at the World Championships in Eindhoven and in 2011 broke the world 800m and 1500m records at the state titles.

At the London Paralympics in 2012, Hall won gold in the S9 400m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle relay 34 points and a bronze from the 4x100m medley relay 34 points He also competed in five other events.

Four gold one silver and two bronze medals followed at the World Championships in Montreal 2013, Glasgow 2015 and London 2019.

He returned with gold, silver and bronze from the 2016 Rio Paralympics and a gold and two bronze from the Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

COVID forced many meets to be cancelled but Hall returned at the Paralympics last year.

Among his many accolades was a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2014.