Sydney
4 August 2002
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Pope tells young: Don’t be put off by priests’ sins
Papal honour to war rape heroine
Stem-cell research
Painting of St Edith Stein to be blessed
Maternity leave focus may cloud other issues
Central Coast businesses help Vinnies care for needy
Columbans end a 43-year tradition
Sydney festivals follow in wake of World Youth Day
Need for audio loops so faithful can hear services
‘Reprehensible’ decision
Editorial: Sanctions on Iraq
Letters: Marian devotion
Conversation: Swimmers offered to teach Pope John - Kevin Berry, Olympic champion, writer, speaker
Reflections: John Paul touches hearts of young
Challenge for Catholics to defend their faith
Hitting the high Cs on Toronto stage
Comment: Stem-cell research? Surplus or not, it’s a matter of life and death for embryos
Education: Freedom to have a happy childhood
Inspirations: Mercy Sisters open up Sacred Spaces
Conversation: Swimmers offered to teach Pope John - Kevin Berry, Olympic champion, writer, speaker
By Damir Govorcin
Kevin Berry (pictured) will never forget his once-in-a-lifetime experience of meeting Pope John XXIII.
It was 1960 and Kevin, then only 15, was in Rome to compete in his first Olympic Games.
And he did his country proud, finishing sixth in the final of the 200 metres butterfly.
What more could a kid from Marrickville ask for: compete for his country, make an Olympic final and soak up the history and splendour of the Eternal City?
But there was more to come.
As one of only four Catholic men on the Australian swimming team, Kevin was invited for a private audience with the Pontiff.
Pope John told them: “I’m the fisher of men, but I can’t swim.”
Kevin recalls: “The four of us then invited him to come to Australia so we could teach him to swim.
“As a Catholic, it was a moving experience meeting the Pope. It was a privilege to meet him and it’s still so vivid in my thoughts 42 years on.”
Four years later, with an Olympic final under his belt, Kevin went to the Tokyo Olympics determined to win gold in the 200 metres butterfly.
And he did, in style, to join the elite band of Australian sportsmen and women who have won an individual Olympic Gold medal.
He says he turned to his faith to cope with the pressure of the Games.
“My faith was very important as it gave me great comfort before any swim race,” he recalls.
“Prayer was something I relied on in my preparation, and I believe it was a contributing factor to my success.
“There’s a tremendous amount of pressure at Olympic Games level, but my faith allowed me to cope and gave me an edge over my opponents.”
Kevin, one of seven children in a devout Catholic family, says his faith has been an integral factor not only in swimming, but also in his successful career in business and the media.
His swimming career is one of achievement: Olympic champion 200 metres butterfly, Tokyo 1964; triple Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Perth 1962; holder of 12 individual world records between 1961 and 1968; inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, 1980.
The final in Tokyo is still fresh in his mind 38 years after the event.
He was one of only two competitors who had previously been in a final, so he tried to psyche out his less experienced opponents.
“I intentionally made a false start which seemed to unnerve the other swimmers,” he says.
“It was legal to do that in those days, and I could sense the tension and pressure building in my opponents.
“It was only after I received the gold medal on the dais that it sank in that I was an Olympic champion.
“I can’t put it into words to describe how I felt.”
Swimming can be a lonely sport. Doing laps for hour upon hour tests you both mentally and physically.
Under the guidance of head coach Don Talbot, Kevin thrived on those challenges to become one of Australia’s greatest swimmers.
He says the gruelling training schedules gave him a chance to reflect on his life and faith.
“To cope with the boredom of training, I would sing songs to myself and think about my whole life in general,” he says.
“It brought me closer to myself and it helped me think through my personal relationships and my relationship with God.”
Kevin, 57, has two children, Laura 30 and Luke 28. Five months ago he became a grandfather when Laura gave birth to a daughter, Georgia.
“I would always laugh at other grandparents for the way they would fuss and carry on over their grandchildren,” Kevin says. “Now I am doing the same thing.
“Georgia is so beautiful and I love nothing better than to spoil her rotten.”
Away from the swimming pool, Kevin’s career has primarily been in the media, as a photographer and pictorial editor with the Sydney Morning Herald and as head of sport on ABC-TV. He is a successful sports historian – author of 2000 Things You Didn’t Know About The Olympic Games – and is keenly sought after as a motivational speaker.
His audiences often include business people at corporate lunches “and recently I spoke to a group of undertakers at the Gold Coast”, he says.
“I talk mainly about my experiences at the Olympics, the media, business and my faith in God.”
He has developed a passion for writing over the past five years and has books on the Commonwealth and Olympic Games in the pipeline.
Despite his hectic work schedule, Kevin has no intention of slowing down. His passion for the history and unity of the Olympics has never waned.
“I remember in 1960, at the height of the Cold War, there was a great feeling between the East and the West in the Olympic Village,” he recalled.
“I saw Americans dancing with Russian athletes … that’s what the Olympics is all about.
“It’s a brotherhood and I’m proud to be a part of the huge Olympic family.”
Kevin is a member of the Catenian Association, an international brotherhood of Catholic business and professional men who meet to share common values and “life experiences”.
Kevin’s group meets once a month. “We have a meal and it’s a great way to relax with friends,” he says.
“I think I have only missed about two or three meetings in 10 years.”