At Redcliffe War Memorial Swimming Pool, Olympic gold medallist Kylie Palmer is involved in a very different side of the sport that once took her around the world. Instead of preparing for international competition, she is helping oversee a facility where children learn their first swimming strokes, promising young athletes train for championships and Special Olympics competitors pursue their own sporting ambitions.
Among the swimmers making their mark in 2026 are 10-year-old Aurora Jansma, whose growing collection of medals has attracted attention, and Anthony Williams, a Special Olympics athlete who has raced Palmer in the pool. Their experiences reflect the range of opportunities available at Redcliffe, where Belgravia Leisure identified Palmer as venue manager in its reports earlier this year.
It is familiar territory for the former Australian representative, who grew up in Murrumba Downs and attended Undurba State School. Her swimming journey began at about two years old, when her family enrolled her in lessons because they had a backyard pool. Those early lessons, intended primarily for water safety, eventually led to an international career that included Olympic gold and a world record.
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A Different Role at the Pool
Palmer’s early competitive development took her through Lawnton Swimming Club, which later merged with Redcliffe, and training environments at Albany Creek and elsewhere in Queensland. By the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she was part of the Australian women’s 4 × 200m freestyle relay team that won gold in a world-record time of 7:44.31.
She returned to the Olympic podium four years later, collecting silver in the same event at London 2012. Her wider international achievements included Commonwealth Games and World Short-Course Championship gold medals.
At Redcliffe, the responsibilities associated with Palmer’s venue-management role extend to a community aquatic facility offering Learn to Swim lessons, competitive squad pathways and programmes for swimmers with different abilities. The facility brings together swimming teachers, coaches and other staff, with recreational participation and competitive development taking place alongside one another.
Young Swimmers Making Their Mark
One of the facility’s emerging competitors is Aurora Jansma, whose achievements were highlighted by Belgravia Leisure in May 2026. According to the leisure operator, Aurora had accumulated 19 gold medals by the age of 10, including six gold and two silver medals at the Queensland School Representative Championships in April.
Her progression began in Learn to Swim before she moved into competitive squad training with Redcliffe Leagues Swimming Club. Aurora’s father, Charlie Jansma, is also her coach, while Palmer has publicly recognised the young swimmer’s achievements and development.
“Aurora graduated from our Learn to Swim program and trains with the Redcliffe Leagues Swimming Club squads in Moreton Bay year-round,” Palmer said in Belgravia Leisure’s May report.
Aurora’s experience offers an example of the pathway available to local children who develop an interest in competitive swimming. Regular lessons provide the initial foundation, with club programmes and specialist coaching offering opportunities to develop technique, endurance and racing experience.
Swimming Together at Redcliffe
The facility’s swimming community also includes members of the Moreton North Special Olympics division, whose upper squads had approximately 25 regular participants when Belgravia Leisure reported on the programme in June.
Among them is Anthony Williams, who was selected to represent Queensland at the 2026 Special Olympics National Games. Anthony began swimming after experiencing a serious lung condition and initially found being in the water challenging. With encouragement and coaching from Terry Bourke, he developed the confidence and skills to participate regularly in the sport.
His swimming experiences have included an opportunity to race Palmer, an encounter he recalled in Belgravia Leisure’s June report.
“Coming from being frightened of water to racing a true athlete like Kylie Palmer has been my most memorable achievement and something I will never forget,” Anthony said.
The wider Special Olympics programme has also brought swimmers together for community activities, including an inclusive swimathon in June 2026, when members of the Moreton North team collectively covered more than 100 kilometres.
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Palmer’s connection with local competitive swimming was also evident in September, when Redcliffe Leagues Swimming Club announced plans for a club-night visit by the former Olympian, complete with her Olympic medals. The announcement reflected the club’s interest in sharing her international achievements with its young swimmers.
Almost two decades after winning Olympic gold, Palmer remains connected to the Moreton Bay swimming community where her own career began. At Redcliffe, that connection now extends to children taking their first lessons, young competitors developing their racing skills and experienced swimmers pursuing ambitions of their own.
Published 9-Nov-2026
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