Two of the world’s swimming powerhouses brought their brightest stars to Otopeni as mentors for the rising talent competing at the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships. Australia and the United States invited two of the sport’s most accomplished swimmers to share their experience with the next generation of Dolphins and Eagles. Cate Campbell and Cullen Jones rode the team bus, led team cheers, shared meals with their athletes, and were on the pool deck for six days of racing in Romania.

Cate Campbell is widely regarded as one of Australia’s greatest swimmers and one of the finest relay swimmers in history, holding four of the fastest 100 m freestyle splits at the time of her retirement. She competed in four Olympic Games—from Beijing 2008 through Tokyo 2020—winning four gold medals, one silver, and three bronze.

Cullen Jones still holds a World Record set at his Olympic debut in Beijing 2008 as part of the U.S. 4x100 m freestyle relay. He earned his second Olympic gold in the 4x100 m medley relay at the 2012 London Games, along with two silver medals.

World Aquatics caught up with Cate and Cullen to talk about their roles in Otopeni, the lessons they learned throughout their careers, and how they are “paying it forward” to inspire the next generation of swimmers.

Big Stage Prep: Cate Campbell Brings Experience to Rising Stars

I am here as an athlete mentor for the Australian Dolphins junior team. It’s so exciting to watch the next generation of Australian swimmers. We have such a long, rich, and successful history in the sport, and these young athletes in the pool today are going to be the next stars. What excites me most is being inspired by them—their love and passion for swimming reminds me of why I first got into the sport, and the energy around the team is incredible to be part of.

This pool and the way the event has been set up look amazing. It’s an incredible facility. I don’t think the athletes fully realize how lucky they are to race here for a junior world championship—with the lights, the cameras, the music, the graphics. This is a world-class meet, run and televised with world-class production. That can only be a good thing for swimming: it draws more eyeballs, captures people’s attention, and helps keep the spotlight on the sport. The athletes have always delivered inside the pool, but it’s so exciting to see what’s happening outside of it as well. I think this will be a huge positive for swimming moving forward.

There’s already talk about a home Olympic Games in Brisbane 2032, and some of these athletes will be right at their peak then—around 24 or 25, which is often the sweet spot for swimming. Others are even talking about aiming for Los Angeles 2028, gaining experience there, and then racing at home in 2032.

That’s why these competitions are so important. They expose young athletes to high-performance racing and get them used to the show that comes with major international events. It prepares them psychologically as much as physically. Everyone trains hard, but experiences like this sharpen them mentally and give them a taste of what it’s like on the big stage.

I wish I’d had something like this when I was younger. I didn’t spend long in junior swimming—I went from racing in small pools with empty stands and no lights straight into the Olympic Games as my first major meet. That was a shock, to say the least. For these athletes, getting inoculated to the stress, the hype, and the energy at this level—even though it’s challenging—is also exciting. It’s invaluable experience, and something I really wish I’d had. It would have prepared me much better for taking that next leap onto the senior team.

Passing the Torch: Cullen Jones Brings Olympic Lessons to Team USA Juniors

I’m here in a mentorship role as an alumni of USA Swimming’s National Team, lending a hand to the juniors. U.S. Olympian Brooke Forde and I spoke with the team the night before competition, sharing some words of wisdom.

My message came from the people who inspired me. I was texting Brendan Hansen, our Junior Team coach who couldn’t make it here. He invited me to travel with the team, and he also swam for Eddie Reese, who coached when I was at my first Olympics in 2008. I still carry a lot of Eddie’s words with me—they fired us up before we raced for gold and set world records. I drew on those memories when I talked to the team, and I think I got them pretty riled up.

It’s inspiring to be here, but more importantly, it’s my responsibility to inspire them. Brooke and I both feel that. Watching the swimmers these past few days, they’ve been lighting it up in the pool. I take no credit—they already know what it means to represent Team USA.

Honestly, I’m blown away by the maturity of this team. They don’t really need us. They’re racing hard, supporting each other, and staying focused. It’s fun to watch.

Being here in Romania feels like a senior Worlds trip. The hosts spared no expense, and the pool looks unbelievably fast. Honestly, I want to jump in myself—meets like this make me want to race again.

International trips like this are huge for development. Long flights, connections, recovery—it’s all part of preparing for the next level. With the LA 2028 Olympics ahead, this is a stepping stone. After watching them race, I expect we’ll see many of these names again at Trials.

What I love most is seeing veterans pass lessons down—how to prepare, how to bounce back, how to fire up the team. That’s what I had with my squads, and it’s already here with them.

Finally, it’s just cool to have an impact on the next generation. At first some of the swimmers were hesitant to talk to me. But a day later they’re high-fiving me, asking questions, and breaking down their races. That’s the best part—being someone they feel they can connect with.