Peter Bol

Australia’s 800-metre runner Peter Bol raced three times in Tokyo for two PBs, two Australian records and an Olympic final. Peter became the first Australian in 53 years to qualify for the Men’s 800m Final on the track in which he finished fourth in an exciting and inspirational race.

Born in Sudan, Peter Bol and his family fled the civil war, spending four years in Egypt.

At the age of 10, he stepped off a plane in Toowoomba; an experience that Peter describes as indescribable and comparable only to qualifying for the Olympic Games.

Ambitious and passionate about helping others, Peter is a mentor, coach and educator – with a focus on the importance of consistent actions.

Peter finds great value in exploring the concept of home- sharing all the emotions and observations that come with his experiences as a Sudanese Australian.

In 2016, Peter wore our national colours – the green and gold as he faced the immensely difficult task of competing at his first Olympic Games in Rio.

“I didn’t know if I was going to win, but I knew one thing for certain, that the whole of Australia was watching and that carried me on”

Never has a competitor who came fourth in an extraordinary Olympic final fired the imagination of so many people, but then Peter Bol is no ordinary athlete; he is so much more, and Australia looks forward to much more of Peter Bol.

There are no “overnight sensations”. Dig deep into the history of anyone who appears to have shot to stardom and you’ll find a CV of hard work, tenacity, failure, success, setbacks, further attempts, trials and tests before all of these conspire to throw someone into the spotlight they’ve been orbiting. This is Peter Bol’s narrative too and he could not hide from the glaring light of achievement, over three nights at the Tokyo Olympic Games in the Japan National Stadium in Shinjuku.

A well-accomplished public speaker talking to corporates and schools, Peter covers topics including goal setting, overcoming adversity, teamwork, balance and peak performance.