As part of our Life section this month, we spoke to Australian swimming legend Michael Klim about his recent retirement from competitive swimming, fatherhood and the launch of his new lifestyle brand Milk. As you’ll read, there’s so much more to this world champion than gold medals and world records.
Hi Michael — 2012 has been quite a year! You’ve hung up your swimming goggles and immersed yourself in a new career as a business entrepreneur. Tell us how it feels to be on this new journey.
It certainly was an interesting year trying to balance swimming, work and family life. Luckily I had retired once before, so in a way I knew what to expect. I’m really excited about my immediate future and expanding my new brand both domestically and internationally.
You’ve enjoyed a long and distinguished career on the Australian swimming team, winning numerous gold medals at Olympic and World Championship events and breaking world records along the way. How did you know it was your time to retire?
This latest project of attempting to make the London Olympic team was certainly a one-off. I always knew I was going to retire immediately after the trials. I was fortunate that my wife Lindy allowed me to devote eighteen months to the preparations — as a family, we sacrificed a lot. With my family and the business in mind, ultimately the decision was an easy one.
With such an amazing career now behind you, how’s life beyond the pool? Have you found it challenging to adjust, or do you still find time to swim?
I still try to swim every now and then. Fitness was such a big part of my life and still is, even though I’m no longer swimming professionally. I’ve always believed in the importance of a balanced lifestyle and definitely live by the saying “healthy body, healthy mind.”
Can you offer any tips to our future Australian athletes on perseverance and success?
We have some great new talent in Australian sport. The most important tip I’d give is to always be passionate about representing your country. It’s also important to ride the ups and downs — they’re all part of the journey. Staying motivated through the good and the bad is key to your success.
What was the most memorable moment of your swimming career, and what will you take away from it all?
Definitely the 4×100 freestyle relay — I think most people will remember the air guitar moment! From that, and from my swimming career as a whole, I’ve learnt the importance of teamwork, having a sense of purpose, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and setting goals for success.
In 2006 you married your Balinese princess Lindy, and six years later you’ve co-developed the skincare brand Milk. Was this something you had wanted to create together for some time?
When I first retired from swimming I knew I wanted to work in either skincare or fashion. My wife and I did some research and found a real need for skincare specially formulated for men. After launching Milk Skincare in 2008, Lindy fell pregnant with our second child and we spotted a similar gap in the market for all-natural skincare for infants — a year later, Milk Baby was born. We’ve since developed the two ranges into a diversified lifestyle brand, Milk & Co, which includes an amazing range of products including protein snacks and, coming soon, apparel.
Now that the pool is for pleasure rather than competition, what does it feel like to be a business entrepreneur? Is it a huge contrast to being a professional athlete?
It’s amazing how many similarities there are between swimming and business. The major difference is that in sport, at the end of the day I had to execute the performance myself — whereas in business it’s much more of a collective effort. That can be just as rewarding.
We hear the brand is targeted towards men — so there’s some hope for the typical lazy Aussie bloke after all!
There certainly is! Our brand is built around making skincare — and life in general — easier for guys. Where possible we’ve made our products multi-purpose, kept things environmentally friendly, and made sure that using them is an enjoyable part of the day.
Your three kids — Stella, Frankie and Rocco — must be pretty happy to have such a cool dad. Can we assume parenthood is your favourite role of all?
That goes without question — they’re my number one priority. It certainly has its moments, but for me it’s about balancing all aspects of my life and being present when it counts. When I’m home I try to switch off my phone and focus on enjoying time with Lindy and the kids.
You’ve had such a successful career in swimming, as a father and now as a business entrepreneur — what’s your secret?
I really don’t have a secret! I think I’ve done well by applying the things I’ve learnt throughout my life and through swimming — and just trying to bring the same discipline and passion to everything I do.
