Robert Van Der Zant

Member of Australian Commonwealth, World Championship and Olympic Swimming Teams

Robert first started swimming competitively at the age of 10 years old. From 1994 to 2003, Robert was a member of the Australian Open Swim Team, competing at three Commonwealth Games, four World Championships, four Pan Pacific Championships and a number of other international meets. Robert’s career highlight was representing Australia at the 2000 Sydney Olympics where he semi-finaled in the 200m Individual Medley.

Robert started coaching following his retirement from competitive swimming in 2004 and continues to have a strong love and passion for the sport of swimming. Robert was the Head Coach of Jamboree Heights Swim Club from 2004 until 2014. During his 10 years with Jamboree Heights, he successfully built the club up to be the one of the biggest swimming clubs in Brisbane.

In 2014, Robert became the Head Coach of Yeronga Park Swim Club where he continues to coach to this day. Yeronga Park Swimming Club competes in the prestigious Premier Division of the Brisbane Swimming Association and participates in local club meets right through to International competitions. Robert continues to produce champion swimmers at a State and National Open and Age level and Open water level. Robert was the Head Coach for the PNG Olympic Swim Team (2016) and PNG Commonwealth Games Swim Team (2018). Since 2017, Robert has been a coach on the Australian National Para Olympic Team, a Coach on the Australian Oceania Swim Team (2018) and most recently a Coach on the Australian Open Water Swim Team (2019). In 2017, Robert was named as the Australian Para Olympic Program Coach of the Year.

Robert continues to have a strong passion for the sport of swimming and a coaching philosophy based on inclusiveness. Robert’s priority is to ensure children and young people enjoy and love what they are doing and to promote swimming as a happy, healthy sport to participate in, no matter what level of competition or skill level they are at.