Dean Boxall is a South African-born Australian swimming coach famous for having overseen the careers of Aussie swimmers like Ariarne Titmus and Meg Harris at the St. Peters Western swim club. He is regarded as one of the elite coaches in the world of swimming as he has trained swimmers who compete at World Championships and Olympic Games.
More than a swimming coach, Boxall has become an internet sensation with the way he wildly celebrates his student’s victories. This was particularly notable at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when Titmus won the women’s 400 m freestyle. Here is more about the coach and some of the students he has seen to victory.
Profile Summary of Dean Boxall
- Full Name: Dean Boxall
- Date of Birth: 1977
- Age: 45 years old (as of 2022)
- Place of Birth: South Africa
- Occupation: Swimming Coach
- LinkedIn: Dean Boxall
Dean Boxall was Born in South Africa
Dean Boxall has made a name for himself as an Australian but he is originally from South Africa. He was born in the Southern-most African country in 1977 and was raised there until he was 7 years old when his family moved to Australia.
Boxall has since then identified as an Aussie, growing up on the island nation and learning very much about becoming a man and the sport of swimming. He has since become a head coach at the Brisbane-based swim club, St. Peters Western.
Was Dean Boxall Ever a Swimmer?
Dean Boxall started out as a swimmer before becoming a coach. He is reported to have trained under coaches like Olympic gold medal coach Michael Bohl. However, his career as a swimmer did not pan out to anything and so he turned around to become a coach.
Boxall has achieved a lot as a swimming coach, winning a myriad of awards. There is no doubt that the highlight of his career was at the Tokyo Olympic Aquatic Centre where the performance of one of his most famous students earned him the 2021 Swimming World’s International Coach of the Year Award.
List of His Honors and Awards
- 2018 – SwimSwam Swammy Award for Oceania Coach of the Year
- 2019 – Swimming Australia Coach of the Year
- 2019 – Swimming Australia Youth Coach of the Year
- 2019 – Australian Swimming Coaches And Teachers Association (ASCTA) Coach of the Year
- 2020 – ASCTA Age Coach of the Year
- 2020 – ASCTA Youth Coach of the Year
- 2021 – SwimSwam Swammy Award for Oceania Coach of the Year
- 2021 – Swimming World International Coach of the Year
- 2021 – SwimSwam Swammy Award for Viral Video of the Year
- 2021 – Swimming Australia, Youth Coach of the Year
Read Also: 10 Interesting Facts About Baseball Coach Chris Sabo, Including Wife Susan Joyce
All the Swimmers Dean Boxall Has Coached
Ariarne Titmus
- Full Name: Ariarne Elizabeth Titmus
- Nickname: Arnie, Terminator
- Date of Birth: 7 September 2000
- Age: 21 years old (as of 2022)
- Place of Birth: Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
- Nationality: Australian
- Height: 1.77 m (5 feet 9.69 inches)
- Weight: 63 kg (138.89 lbs)
Ariarne Titmus is an Australian swimmer who holds the world record in the long course and short course 400-meter freestyle. She became an Olympic champion in 2020 after dethroning serial Olympic champion Katie Ledecky to win the women’s 200-meter and 400-meter freestyle.
Elijah Winnington
- Full Name: Elijah Winnington
- Nickname: Lij, Lijo
- Date of Birth: 5 May 2000
- Age: 22 years old (as of 2022)
- Place of Birth: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
- Nationality: Australian
Elijah Winnington is another famous Australian competitive swimmer who was once a student of Dean Boxall at St. Peters Western. He specializes in sprint freestyle events and has competed in events like the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, and the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Mitch Larkin
- Full Name: Mitchell James Larkin
- Nickname: Mitch, Larkinator
- Date of Birth: 9 July 1993
- Age: 28 years old (as of 2022)
- Place of Birth: Nambor, Queensland, Australia
- Nationality: Australian
- Height: 1.88 m (6 feet 2 inches)
- Weight: 75 kg (165 lbs)
With a specialty in backstroke and medley, Mitch Larkin competed for Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2016 Summer Olympics, and the 2020 Summer Olympics. He currently represents the Cali Condors which is part of the International Swimming League.
Meg Harris
- Full Name: Meg Harris
- Date of Birth: 7 March 2002
- Age: 20 years old (as of 2022)
- Place of Birth: Albury, Australia
- Nationality: Australian
Meg Harris is a world record holder in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay. She rose to the spotlight in 2017 when she won an individual gold medal at the 2017 Bahamas Commonwealth Youth Games. She has since competed at the 2019 World Junior Championships and 2020 Olympic Games. At the former, she won two Bronze and one silver medal while at the former she took home a bronze and gold medal.
Notable Mentions
- Mollie O’Callaghan
- Abbey Harkin
- Clyde Lewis

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