OLD BOYS
Making the impossible possible 10km ocean swim. 420km bike ride. 84km double marathon. Three days. This is what it takes to complete an ultra triathlon – the hardest triathlon in the world. To finish seems impossible, but BGS Old Boy Richard Thompson ’02 wanted more. He became an Ultraman World Champion and world-record holder. Regarded as one of the greatest ultra-endurance athletes of all time, Thompson still competes, but has also transitioned to the business world. He is head of one of the most successful endurance coaching companies in Australia, inspiring the everyday person to believe anything is possible. It was at Brisbane Grammar School that the groundwork for Thompson’s success was laid. As a young, relatively unfit wicketkeeper and goalkeeper representing the light dark blue, the thought of running 5km was intimidating.
The School’s culture of endeavour and motto, nil sine labore – nothing without work – combined with a drive for self-improvement, equipped Thompson with the tools to begin his ultra-endurance journey.
He placed last in his first triathlon at age 16, but by 23 he was the Age Group Ironman World Champion. “The only way you do that is through believing that anything is possible in this world,” Thompson said.
“Nothing has ever come naturally to me,” Thompson said. “Whatever I have had to do, I have had to work hard for it. That drive stems from a combination of my upbringing and the BGS culture. At School, the BGS motto is ingrained into you – it sinks into your skin, it sinks into your blood. If you want anything in this life, you have to go out and work hard for it.”
“My passion is endurance sport and helping others reach their full potential. It’s that feeling that you have done everything possible – you have gone out and achieved your absolute potential. In my view, that defines success.”
“Your potential exponentially increases when you have great people supporting you. At BGS, it felt like everyone was rowing the boat in the same direction, for the benefit of the group. I learned that when you work hard, and you have people in your team supporting you, amazing things happen.”
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Thompson believes the human body can evolve to do amazing things through consistency, hard work and determination. Belief is a significant part of completing the more than 500km ultra triathlon. “An incredible skill that I picked up at school was believing that you can achieve something before you actually do it. After winning the Ultraman World Championships
