As one of Australia's most respected swimmers, John Konrads set 24 individual world records and won gold in the 1500m at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
His younger sister Ilsa was also a record-breaking swimmer and together the "Konrads kids" were as well known in their time as Ian Thorpe is today.
Mr Konrads first learned to swim at a migrant hostel near the NSW town of Wagga Wagga. Just prior to that, he and his family had come to Australia in 1949 from post war Europe. Mr Konrads was born in Latvia in 1942. Following his swimming career, Mr Konrads married his wife Mikki and went on to become a largely successful business executive.
Later in life, he was found to be suffering from mild bi-polar disorder, which he has battled and defeated.
Mr Konrads is currently a director of an aquatic and fitness complex in Sydney and also conducts swim clinics.
Mr Konrads is also a Board Member of the Black Dog Institute and its Foundation which addresses the diagnosis, treatment and de-stigmatisation of mental disorders.
ET: What are your earliest memories?
JK: My childhood memories have been very happy. My parents chose Australia. When we arrived—not the first year around—the second we spent at a migrant's hostel [near Wagga Wagga], the only one in Australia with a swimming pool. And that is where I learnt to swim.
ET: What was the highlight of your career?
JK: Certainly, the Olympic Gold Medal...It's the biggest deal in town or in the world, particularly now.
ET: What's the best thing about being married?
JK: Many things, but I think children. And seeing them develop, seeing them have difficulties and seeing them cope with those – my daughter has recently been promoted in a major fashion house—and having the satisfaction in seeing that. I think the other thing is family life—we struggle in society with the absence or the decline of the family table. It's not always easy to stay married, as the statistics show, and we have been married for 39 years and the feeling of family is a wonderful thing.
ET: Why is family important to you?
JK: I think it is important to humanity; it's both a support system and a refuge. Being the head of the family, the breadwinner, there is a lot of responsibility that goes with it, which gives you satisfaction and gives you sadness because you can't always achieve what you would like to achieve for your family. This is why we can learn so much from Asian families – chatting, enjoying life and living together. It is very important.
ET: How do you define success?
JK: I am inspired by Ian Thorpe. In the 2000 Olympics he came second, got the silver medal for the 200m and in an interview soon after, not on the same day, he said something like: "I have never lost a race," and the journalist said "huh?" He said "I never lost a race because I swim my PB [personal best] and in the 2000 I broke my own world record, I did my PB. I can't control what Pieter van den Hoogenband does; if he swims up to a tenth of a second faster its up to him it isn't up to me." Now living your life and being content with your PB, that's hard philosophy to follow when the world around us says "gold, gold, gold."
ET: What do you hope to see more of in this world?
JK: Compassion—I think it is happening in many ways. I think Australia has developed fantastically over the years. I think a typical example is mental illness, which is no longer swept under the carpet.
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