MADISON, Wis. — Senior captain
Cameron Tysoe had a meteoric rise last season for Wisconsin swimming. He steadily fought his way to qualifying for the NCAA championships for the first time in the 200-yard backstroke where he would go on to
secure 10th place and All-America honorable mention. Now in his senior year, he's poised to qualify for the Australian Olympic team.
A native of Canberra, Australia, Tysoe has been competing for the Badgers since 2016. He answered the requisite check-list. Do his teammates try to mimic his accent? All the time. Does he eat Vegemite? He does. What does he think about the weather? "Australia doesn't get down to minus-30, for instance," he said with a wry smile. But despite the wind chill and lack of marsupials, Wisconsin holds its own with Tysoe.
"A few of us internationals (students) are here and this has become a home, or a second home, at least," he reflected. "I sometimes catch myself referring to it as home."
But how did he get to Wisconsin in the first place? According to Tysoe, it started with an email. "I sent an email to the top 25 universities for swimming in my junior year [of high school] with my body measurements, grades and times expressing I wanted to swim," he said. "Wisconsin replied."
Not only did Wisconsin reply, but it was also a natural fit. And now, after a breakout season, a launchpad.
"Here (at Wisconsin), you have access to facilities you wouldn't even dream of in Australia," Tysoe explained. "This is a big part of taking it to the next level."
That next level? The Australian Olympic team.
Cameron Tysoe with the Australian Flag
It won't be his first-time swimming for his country. Swimming for Australia, Tysoe placed fifth in the men's 200 back at the 2019 World University Games in Italy this summer. "It was crazy," Tysoe said with a grin, reminiscing. "I never represented my country before and walking out onto the deck at Naples where the atmosphere was electric, I had goosebumps all over. That's why you swim."
When asked about his desire to make the Olympic team, Tysoe smiled and laughed softly to himself while looking across the pool. "That's the aim. That's why we do it," he said. "Everything I'm doing this year is with that in mind."
But that's not the only role Tysoe's senior season will play.
He and the other seniors at Wisconsin are creating a new culture. "There's been a huge culture shift, especially with the new coaching staff and Yuri (Suguiyama)," Tysoe said. "It sounds cliché, but it's become a brotherhood."
Looking back at the ongoing practice, Tysoe watched his teammates. "We want to leave a legacy," he finished simply. "We want to leave a legacy as good people and as good students."
