Olympics 2024: From Stanthorpe to Paris, Ben Armbruster’s long time dream becomes a reality

It was meant to be a test run – a chance to clear out his nerves – instead Ben Armbruster shocked everyone, including his mum and longtime coach – locking in his Olympic spot in an event he didn’t even train for.

It was supposed to be a hit out – a race to get the nerves out of his system before his favoured event – but Ben Armbruster did what no one expected and booked his ticket to Paris alongside an Olympic legend.

Armbruster, 22, finished second in the 50m men’s freestyle, after matching it with soon to be four-time Olympian Cam McEvoy, to make his first Olympic squad.

He touched in a time of 21.88 – just 0.04 seconds under the tough qualifying time set by Swimming Australia and a new personal best.

Armbruster had only swum the race under 22 seconds in a competition once before – that morning in the heats – where he qualified into the final as the second fastest.

It took his mum Shannon Armbruster, who was watching from the stands, by surprise.

“He wasn’t even training for the 50m free,” Shannon said.

“That was a hit out swim. He always does the 50m free, 100m fly double on the same day at nationals. This was the first time we have seen him race an independent 50m free for a long time.

“I watched him walk out and I thought he is super calm.”

Shannon said she was on her feet for the whole race.

“To see his smile at the end was just priceless.”

Ben Armbruster celebrates after clinching his place in the Olympics squad. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Another 230km away in Stanthorpe, Armbruster’s coach of 14 years was watching from her TV. She hadn’t made the trip to Brisbane as it wasn’t the event her former student was meant to qualify in.

As Gail Smail watched the race unfold she said she didn’t know whether to cry or scream – so she did both.

Smail met Armbruster when he was just four-years-old. Showing up at the Stanthorpe Swimming Pool, which Smail ran, for his first lessons.

“I was jumping up and down,” Smail said.

“I nearly broke my chair. It was just a proud moment. Tears flowed. I was screaming at the TV. It was just so wonderful.”

Armbruster’s journey hasn’t been an easy one.

He grew up in Stanthorpe. A country town, three hours from Brisbane – right on the border with New South Wales – the coldest town in Queensland.

There is one pool – a 50m outdoor pool and it is open just six months of the year as it isn’t heated.

Armbruster set his sights on the Olympics at a young age.

“He always had that goal ahead of him,” Smail said.

“You can never knock those dreams off his shoulders. You just guide them the best way you can.

“Sometimes he would doubt himself, being a swimmer is a lonely road. He had natural talent but great determination too.”

Cam McEvoy (R) speaks with compatriot Armbruster (L) after g the men’s 50m freestyle final. Picture: Patrick HAMILTON / AFP

Armbruster was in Year 11 when he made his first state team. The teen wanted to lift his training regimen – switching his usual winter sport of football for more swimming.

With the pool closed it meant Armbruster, his mum Shannon and Smail would make a 120km round trip from Stanthorpe to Warwick every morning for six months of the year.

“There were a lot of road trips backwards and forwards to Warwick when we couldn’t swim here in the winter,” Smail said.

“Ben, his mum and I all travelled in before school and then I’d take him down after school when I could, just to keep him in the water.

“Usually every afternoon in October we’d get a storm so we’d have to try and get him in there and make sure he got his training done and home before those storms hit.”

Smail said the whole town was behind Armbruster.

“He’s achieved a great thing and it has helped our little town too because plenty of kids from the bush can see now that if they set their mind on something they can achieve it,” Smail said.

“It is hard work and he made a lot of sacrifices as a young boy – it is rough but this reward pays off for all that stuff.”

Smail coached Armbruster up until 2020 when he made the move to University of Sunshine Coast to swim under Chris Mooney. He then followed Mooney to Bond University in 2021.

Shannon said Mooney had been the missing ingredient.

“The process that he had in place for Ben was way above what we would have ever dreamt for him,” Shannon said.

“He put him into this safe, secure cocoon and got him working as an elite athlete. In the space of 18 months or two years Chris has taken him from an age group swimmer to an Olympic athlete.”

FLASHBACK: Ben Armbruster as a youth with his coach Gail Smail.

The Olympics won’t be Armbruster’s first time representing Australia in the pool. He competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham – in the 50m backstroke. He made it through to the finals where he finished seventh.

He came home with a gold medal from the 4x100m mixed freestyle relay.

But it was this past 12 months where he has really started to make his mark.

He won gold in the 50m butterfly at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in 2023 and finished second in the same event at the National Swimming Championships in April.

Then won bronze in the men’s 100m butterfly behind Matt Temple and Shaun Champion.

Shannon said the World Swimming Cup had been a turning point for her son – who had at points contemplated hanging up his goggles.

“He has had highs and lows with swimming, which every swimmer has,” she said.

“I think the self-belief was just gone there for a while and then when he went to the World Cup he got rejuvenated after that. He realised he could match it with the big guns over there and it spurred him and was the driving force to come back in this year with a clear head and self belief.”

Armbruster finished second in the 100m Butterfly at the 2023 World Cup. Picture: Maja Hitij/Getty Images

While most swimmer’s are quick to forget their junior coaches Armbruster and Smail still talk regularly.

“We still text and talk,” Smail said.

“I just don’t give him any advice on his swimming now because he’s got Chris to do that. I just tell him to keep his head on his shoulders and anything’s achievable. I’m just there for support.”

Armbruster still has one race to go – his pet event the 100m butterfly.

Smail joked he might switch and make the 50m freestyle his focus after Wednesday night’s efforts.

The longtime coach, who only retired last year, will be in the stands on Saturday to watch Armbruster’s butterfly race.

He is up against tough competition including Kyle Chalmers, Matt Temple and Cody Simpson.

But Smail has full faith in her former student.

“He’s got every chance,” Smail said.

Originally published as Olympics 2024: From Stanthorpe to Paris, Ben Armbruster’s long time dream becomes a reality