The Summer Olympic Games is the pedigree of sports competition, with thousands of athletes from around the world competing against the best of the best. Years of training can come down to a fraction of a second, something that Olympic swimmer Paul Kingsman '80 can definitely relate to.

While still a student at Auckland Grammar School at just 15 years of age, Paul became the youngest New Zealander to qualify for the Commonwealth Games team, where he made the final of the 200m backstroke in Queensland in 1982. He vividly remembers the conversation he had with then Headmaster, the late Sir John Graham, asking for special permission to compete.

"I remember D. J. congratulating me after being selected [for the team]. I brought him a note written by my mother asking for permission for time off to go - this brought a smile and a look that I will never forget! He said it was a huge honour for me in representing school and country."

It was from a very early age that Paul found his love and passion for swimming. "I have always loved the water - and I still do. I played Cricket one day at Keith Hay Park and did not enjoy it at all!" From the age of 8 when he started swimming lessons, Paul was fortunate enough to be trained by coach Hilton Brown who saw the talent in him. He would go on to be Paul's coach throughout his entire New Zealand career.

Paul then went on to back up his 200m final at the 1982 Commonwealth Games by being selected for the 1984 Olympics team in Los Angeles, where he finished 10th in the 100m backstroke. But it was his performance at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul that was groundbreaking.

In 1988, Paul was ranked 20th in the world in the 200m specialty, but his mind was sharp. "The build-up had gone perfectly. I had always been mindful of the fact that all I needed to do was focus on my goal time of swimming two minutes flat for the 200m backstroke. I had a race plan and the number one priority was just sticking to that."

And stick to that plan he did. Paul swam the race of his life - and finished in a time of 2min 00.48 seconds. This time not only earned Paul a new Commonwealth record which stood for 20 years, but it also earned Paul the bronze medal by just four one-hundredths of a second. Paul said it was "definitely a thrill" to stand up on the podium. "I remember watching the New Zealand flag go up and thinking, "that is pretty cool" - that is going up because of me."

Now based in South Carolina in the United States, Paul recently enjoyed a six-week trip back to New Zealand and returned to his alma mater with his son Jack. On their final day, Paul spoke to the student body about what it was like in those final few seconds of his bronze medal race. Speaking with passion and enthusiasm, Paul told the students gathered in the Great Hall to chase their dreams and "avoid distractions. Have a clear vision of why it is you are doing something, then do it with all your heart." It was also a very special moment for three students in particular, who crossed stage as the 2021 swimming champions for their age group and were congratulated by Paul himself.

It was only on this trip that Paul realised he had made history, winning the bronze medal in Seoul. In doing so, he became the first Old Boy to receive a medal at the Olympics. "Given the depth and pedigree of a load of Auckland Grammar School athletes, this is something that really means a lot to me."

Paul would go on to compete at two more Commonwealth Games, closing out his swimming careers with a silver and a bronze in Auckland in 1990. After retiring, Paul took up a position with Speedo sportswear and, in his own words, inherited a real headache of a situation. "We needed to turn the brand around, reposition it and revitalize it, all at higher price points. I hired two staff people, told them the challenge ahead, and we set to it and did it. Within three years, Speedo NZ was the most profitable Speedo territory per capita of any territory worldwide."

Having been a professional speaker for 20 years, in 2020 Paul accepted a newly-created position of National Director of Practice Management for Ash Brokerage, the largest privately-owned insurance brokerage firm in the United States. "In this role, I get to do what I love most: help financial advisors focus better, avoid distractions and succeed sooner with building their ideal business."

Paul is a proud Grammar Old Boy through and through. "I am really proud to be part of a school, where standards that I saw and was a part of while growing up, still remain and are being nurtured - as difficult as that is in present times. Many contributors to society have gone before me through the school. To be a part of that legacy is something that means a lot."