Sport
10 December, 2025
Picton High student receives swimming’s highest honour
Since enrolling at Picton High School, Year 12 student Brodie Smith has established himself as an exceptional athlete whose achievements in the pool are nothing short of remarkable.
Since enrolling at Picton High School, Year 12 student Brodie Smith has established himself as an exceptional athlete whose achievements in the pool are nothing short of remarkable.
In 2025 alone, he was an All-Schools finalist and claimed the Combined High Schools (CHS) 50 metre Freestyle gold medal, along with silver medals in both the 100m Freestyle and 100m Backstroke.
All whilst focusing on his Higher School Certificate exams and graduating as well.
His consistency over the years is equally impressive, earning four NSW CHS silver medals and three NSW CHS bronze medals between 2021 and 2024.
As the Sydney South West Swimming Age Champion from 2021–2025, and a committed member of both the Sydney South West water polo team and the SSW swim team from 2021–2025, Brodie has demonstrated outstanding dedication to his sport.
Last week Brodie was presented with the 2025 Sydney South West Secondary Blues Award for Swimming.
Brodie’s mum Caren told The Southern Wire she and the family were so proud of their son, even comparing him with the likes of Ian Thorpe, who received a Sporting Blue from his alma mater of East Hills Boys High School way back in 1996.
“Paul (Brodie’s dad) and I are incredibly proud of Brodie,” Caren said.
“Receiving a Sydney South West School Sporting Blue Award is a huge honour and something we think he thoroughly deserves after many years of hard work. He always strives to do his very best both in and out of the pool, and we are excited to see what the future holds for him.
“A Blue award is huge, and it now puts him on the list of receiving a Sydney South West Blue with the likes of Ian Thorpe!”
A Sporting Blue is one of the highest honours that can be bestowed on a varsity athlete, recognising exceptional achievement in sports.
It is highly prestigious and carries a long-standing tradition dating back to 1829 when the historic rivalry between the Oxford and Cambridge Universities competed in the first ever rowing boat race on the River Thames - a two and a quarter mile (3.2km) race.
At that time, the teams had no special way to identify themselves. In a simple but significant act, a student from Cambridge tied a light-blue scarf to the bow of his boat, and a student from Oxford tied a dark-blue bow to theirs.
This gesture marked the beginning of the tradition of using blue colours to represent outstanding achievements in varsity sports.
Read More: Picton, Wollondilly