The Burnside Swimming Club has a long tradition of producing quality swimmers who have excelled at state, national, and even international level. This sustained success has been from local club competitions, to Australian Championship meets in the pool and open water (5 km and 10 km distances). Over the past 50 years, Burnside has established itself as one of the top swim clubs in South Australia.
Debbie Palmer claimed Burnside’s maiden Open Australian title, winning gold in the 200 Backstroke at the 1972 national championships. She was rewarded for this with selection for the 1972 Olympic Games. Debbie competed in Munich and was a finalist in 2 events including the 4 × 100 freestyle relay in which the Australian team set a new Commonwealth record. Other Olympic representatives more recently include Anna McVann, also a former world record holder for the women’s 1500m freestyle, and Melissa Morgan.
Anna McVann created history in 1984 when she became the first female to win all the freestyle events at the National Open Championships. Anna was selected in the Olympic team to compete in Los Angeles and was a finalist in four events. Like her predecessing Burnside Olympian, she was a member of the 4 × 100 freestyle relay team, which also set a Commonwealth record.
In 2004 Melissa Morgan became the Club’s third Olympian when she qualified to swim the 200m Backstroke at the Olympic Games in Athens. Melissa reached the semi-finals, and was part of a team that included modern greats Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Leisel Jones and Libby Trickett (nee Lenton).
Burnside has consistently delivered Australian Age finalists and medallists in recent times. Several of these made the progression from the lowest junior squads at Burnside to the top, including 4 time Australian Age Championships medallist Charles Jordan and 2012 Australian 16 Year olds 10 km open water champion Chris Deegan. Both joined the club before they were 10. Chris’ Australian Age Group title gained him selection on to the 2012 Australian team for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii, where he was the only South Australian representative.
2 years earlier he had never won a state championship.
Esther Overton competed at the 2012 London Paralympics and came 5th in the 50m backstroke final, an outstanding result for Esther and the Burnside Swimming Club. This was her second Paralympics, following her appearance in Beijing in 2008.