From Olympic Gold to Hedge Fund Manager: Cameron van der Burgh’s Post-Swimming Career

Cameron van der Burgh, a South African swimming legend, has transitioned from securing Olympic gold to navigating the world of hedge funds. The former swimmer, born in Pretoria in 1988, has built a successful second career as a portfolio manager in the United Kingdom.

Early Life and Swimming Career

Picture: Swim Swam

Van der Burgh’s journey into swimming began at the age of 11 after he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Seeking an outlet for his energy, he took up the sport, soon making his mark in national and international competitions. He matriculated from Crawford College in Johannesburg in 2006 and made his debut at the 2007 World Championships, later representing South Africa at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

By 2009, van der Burgh had set his first world record in the 50m breaststroke at the South African National Championship. This was the beginning of an illustrious career, marked by numerous victories including the 50m breaststroke world title in Rome, Italy, later that year. He continued to break records, setting a new benchmark at the Commonwealth Games.

Olympic Triumphs and World Championships

The highlight of van der Burgh’s swimming career came in the 2012 London Olympics, where he clinched a Gold Medal in the 100m breaststroke, setting a world record with a time of 58.46 seconds. His success continued through the 2014 Commonwealth Games, where he bagged another gold in the 50m breaststroke and a bronze with the South African team in the 4x100m relay.

He would go on to break the World Record in the 50m breaststroke heats at the 2015 World Championships, though he settled for silver in the final. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, van der Burgh earned a silver medal in the 100m breaststroke, adding to his Olympic tally.

Transition to the Investment World

Retiring from professional swimming in 2018 at just 30 years old, van der Burgh pivoted to a new career in finance. He studied Financial Management part-time through the University of South Africa before relocating to London to begin his journey in the investment sector.

Van der Burgh joined Andurand Capital, a hedge fund, where he focused on analyzing crude oil market trends, particularly supply-demand dynamics, refinery modeling, and volatility analysis. His expertise in energy products earned him a promotion to derivative portfolio manager.

In 2022, he moved to Millennium, a global alternative investment firm managing over $74 billion in assets, where he took on the role of portfolio manager.

Honors and Philanthropy

Van der Burgh has received several accolades, including the prestigious Order of Ikhamanga in Silver from the South African Presidency for his sporting achievements and charity work. He has used his wealth to support feeding schemes for underprivileged children in Alexandra, Johannesburg.

Additionally, he has become a prominent motivational speaker and an ambassador for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, an organization using sports to drive social change.

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Sourced:Business Tech