Longtime Australian swimming coach Tracey Menzies-Stegbauer is rejoining Swimming Australia in the role of Technical Lead on the organization’s Coach Leadership Team.
The Coach Leadership Team, which also includes Australian Dolphins head coach Rohan Taylor, Leigh Nugent, Simon Cusack, and Mel Tantrum, assists with developing coaches and their athletes leading up to the Paris 2024 Olympics. Menzies-Stegbauer will have a particular focus on supporting the National Flippers Squad in Victoria and Tasmania, which targets swimmers who are four to six years from a senior podium performance.
Menzies-Stegbauer is best known for coaching Australian legend Ian Thorpe at the Athens 2004 Olympics, where he became the first man ever to medal in the 100, 200, and 400 freestyle events at a single Olympics. She coached Thorpe from 2002 until his retirement in 2006.
Menzies-Stegbauer went on to coach six Australian teams at major international meets such as the World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and Olympics Games. She served as head coach for six Australian youth and World University teams, running Swimming Australia’s National Training Centre (NTC) Transition Program until it closed at the of the 2018 calendar year. Most recently, she worked as a Wellbeing and Engagement Manager for Gymnastics Australia following a stint as head coach at Rackley Parkinson in Queensland.
“I look forward to starting this role with Swimming Australia with the goal to further develop high performance coaching and improve athletic performances in Victoria, Tasmania and around the country,” Menzies-Stegbauer said. “Technical excellence, planning, education, and athlete well being are central to my coaching approach. I am excited to work with coaches and their athletes and will use my skills, knowledge and experience to continue to mentor, coach and enable technical and collaborative performance environments for athletes and coaches in swimming.”
“We are delighted to welcome Tracey to the Victorian swimming community and congratulate Swimming Australia on their investment and work to bring Tracey into this important and exciting role,” Swimming Victoria CEO Jason Hellwig said. “She has a track record of success and will make a positive difference to Victorian Swimming. We look forward to supporting her to develop Victoria’s very best swimmers and coaches.”