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Ben Popham goes from Telethon Kid to Paralympic gold medallist

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Laura NewellThe West Australian
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Smiling at the camera with the sparkling blue waters of a swimming pool behind him, 21-year-old Ben Popham looks every inch the elite athlete he is.

Every few minutes our photographer has to stop as the university student is approached by shy youngsters who ask to have a picture with him.

He gamely agrees, wryly noting they must be noticing his green and gold shirt. It’s pointed out to him that the three medals around his neck might have something to do with it, too. With his signature laugh, Popham looks down at the two gold and one silver medal as if he still can’t quite believe they are there.

He’s been home just a few weeks after his triumphant turn at Tokyo 2020 where he scooped one gold for his individual performance in the S8 Men’s 100m freestyle, another with his team in the 4x100m freestyle relay and silver for the men’s 4x100m medley relay.

In his own words, it has been a whirlwind return, with Telethon events right on the heels of his Paralympic glory.

Australian Paralympic swimmer Ben Popham.
Camera IconAustralian Paralympic swimmer Ben Popham. Credit: Daniel Wilkins/The West Australian

It has been so busy for Popham that as we arrive he apologises for not wearing his full-length Australian colours.

But they are in the wash as he’s worn them so often for media work this week relating to Telethon. His excitement for the event, which he has been involved in since he was a Telethon Little Star in 2011, is infectious. And, characteristically, he’s wholeheartedly thrown himself into this weekend once again.

“I’m doing a lot of stuff with the festival, the carnival, and a lot of stuff with the charity trail,” he says. “We’re doing a couple of challenges. We did a pre-recorded thing in the pool with a bunch of celebrities and that was really good — a couple of the guys that know what they’re doing versus a couple of celebrities, and it was quite a lot of fun.

“And obviously on the live show, the crosses to the phone-room and stuff are always going to be a highlight and maybe I might even make a couple of appearances on the couch, as it’s now called.”

When asked what he gets recognised more for, Telethon or swimming, he says that once it was his year as a Little Star that earned him recognition.

Ben Popham and Savanna Addis at the Telethon 2011 closing.
Camera IconBen Popham and Savanna Addis at the Telethon 2011 closing. Credit: Robert Duncan/The West Australian

But after Tokyo his time in the pool seems to have taken over: “I was always surprised at how many people recognised me after Telethon and for how long that lasted.”

Popham turns the conversation to the achievements of others as often as he can. And he reserves special praise for his fellow Telethon Little Stars alumnae, pointing out very carefully that — despite his meteoric rise to sporting success, after taking up swimming as part of his physiotherapy aged seven to help with the effects of diplegic cerebral palsy — he’s far from the only success story among them, nor the only example of a hard worker.

“I’m so happy that I was a Telethon kid. It’s a cool thing, isn’t it? It definitely helped me realise what I could do and gave me amazing opportunities both then and now. I know multiple Telethon kids and I’m regularly in touch with them and I see what they’ve done with their lives — it is just so special.

“I’m a case in point to just show how good Telethon can be, but you can look at various different Telethon stars to show that, but I guess I’m just the story of the current day because of the medals.

“I’m very aware of how fortunate I am to be in the position I am. I’m extremely lucky that swimming has had the effect on my life, and on my muscles and general quality of life that it has.

I'd like to think that I'm very aware of my good fortune and have a huge amount of gratitude

“I’m always very, very aware of how if a couple of things changed and how, maybe if we didn’t act quite as fast, it could have been sort of downhill and I would have had a lot less range of motion and my quality of life could have gone right down. I’d like to think that I’m very aware of my good fortune and and have a huge amount of gratitude.”

Clearly the public eye doesn’t faze the Marmion-based swimmer — he’s relaxed and friendly with everyone he meets. And if he gets his way, that’ll be a handy skill for the future. When asked what he wants to do when he “grows up”, a question to which he once again laughs, Popham’s face lights up.

“I like broadcast journalism. I like radio stuff. Like I love radio. I want to be sports-focused though,” he says.

“I think my dream job would be on a commercial radio talk show, like one of the three people that they have on for breakfast.”

Telethon host, Channel 7 sports supremo and breakfast radio host Basil Zempilas should keep his wits about him when it comes to this one — he’s out for his job. When asked if he’d like to host Telethon, another big grin breaks out: “Eventually, maybe. Basil does a good job but it would be very, very fun to do. Maybe a co-host?”

Popham celebrates winning gold on day one of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Camera IconPopham celebrates winning gold on day one of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Credit: Adam Pretty/Getty Images

While he’s already part way through a degree at Curtin University, the erudite sportsman says he really tries to compartmentalise his swimming and his studies; his mind more focused on his swimming right now with the aim of a berth on the team for Paris 2024 and his eyes on smashing a world record.

He reckons he’ll get there in the next three years, though he admits he’s got a fair amount of work ahead of him to take the S8 record.

“I’m very cautious not to let the academics, or other possibilities overtake swimming right now because I definitely want to go to Paris for sure,” he says. “And I don’t want to half-ass anything.

“I think my success in the pool will be able to spring me into a career in journalism, but I wouldn’t want it to be connected. Sort of how (Ian) Thorpe is now, where everyone knows him as the swimmer, and he’s done great things, but he’s paving his own way through life.

“So I think once swimming is done, it’s done. I wouldn’t coach, wouldn’t do anything next to the pool — I kind of want to jump into a different area of life. I’m happy to do sports and cover swimming in the major events, but I wouldn’t stay around the pool forever.”

Australian paralympic swimmer Ben Popham with his medals.
Camera IconAustralian paralympic swimmer Ben Popham with his medals. Credit: Daniel Wilkins/The West Australian

When asked how his Tokyo success has changed his life, Popham is extremely honest: “I think I’m still coming to grips with this, because I haven’t quite settled in.

“Really, I’m only just back. But I think in terms of the opportunities that I’m having, and the the doors that are opening, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how little I have to do to get them.

“And that’s a credit to the Paralympic movement, and just in general people accepting the Paralympic movement for what it is. And that’s, you know, entirely equal to the Olympic guys and that’s really exciting.”

But while he’s enjoying a brief post-Paralympic cool down, he’s not stopped his training — he trains about 22 hours a week for 51 weeks of the year and has done since he first got into swimming.

Popham is as down to earth as you can get. And he credits his family (particularly his twin brother, Adam) and girlfriend with ensuring he remains grounded.

“I’m very grateful for my core network, so parents, siblings, my girlfriend and my coach,” he says.

“They’re allowing me to obviously celebrate and stuff but I think there’s never a danger of me getting too egotistical. I think they’re quick to ground me and, you know, staying humble is of course a very important thing, especially in sport.

“If you let your achievements get the better of you, then you’re done.”

Despite his wish to make an impact on the world of sport, he still struggles to see himself as a role model, blushing when the fact he has a Wikipedia page is brought up as proof of his fame (apparently his mother discovered it a while ago — Popham brands it “cool”, but looks less sure than he sounds).

As for the indelible mark Telethon has made on WA, Popham is very clear in how much of a difference it makes and what an incredible effort goes in to ensuring it smashes its fundraising target year after year, after year.

“I think everyone knows it’s a marathon effort (to get Telethon off the ground every year), right?

“All the stars, you can see they are knackered afterwards — and every single person is a volunteer. And planning for the next one starts the moment the show closes.

“But it’s so important. I feel like because Telethon is so regular, we really have these conversations about inclusion and disability here in WA every year.

“And that’s really important to your general understanding of disability. I think it’s part of what makes WA a great place to be.”