Growing up in a sporting family in Melbourne, William initially explored golf and Australian Rules football and remains a passionate Richmond Tigers fan. However, at the age of nine, he decided to pursue swimming and joined the Nunawading Swimming Club. William quickly rose through the junior ranks, participating in his first national event at just 11 years old at the Pacific School Games. By the age of 14, he had broken his first Victorian record and set an Australian record in the 200m breaststroke, previously held by Olympic Champion Zac Stubblety-Cook.
Education and Early Achievements
- School: Attended Wheelers Hill Campus from 2011 to 2022.
- Early Focus: Initially focused on breaststroke, breaking records at a young age.
- Victorian Record: Set his first Victorian record at 14.
- Australian Record: Broke the Australian record in the 200m breaststroke, previously held by Zac Stubblety-Cook.
Shift to Individual Medley
- New Focus: Shifted to the individual medley, demonstrating proficiency in all four disciplines.
- Australian Junior Team: Earned a spot in 2021 but couldn’t compete due to the pandemic.
- Reconstruction: Reconstructed his stroke with his coach during his final year of school in 2022.
Achievements and Olympic Journey
- First International Medal: Clinched his first international medal in the 200m IM at the Junior Pan Pacs in Hawaii in 2022.
- 2023 Improvements: Continued to improve, winning gold in the 200m medley and bronze in the 400m medley at the 2024 Australian Championships.
- Olympic Trials: Secured his spot in the Paris Olympics by winning the 200m IM at the Australian Olympic trials in Brisbane with a time of 1:57.54.
Future Goals
Looking ahead, William aims to continue swimming until the home Games in Brisbane in 2032, driven by the prospect of winning an Olympic gold medal on home soil. His journey from a young swimmer to an Olympic hopeful is a testament to his dedication and resilience, serving as an inspiration to future generations of Grammarians aiming for excellence in sports.
Olympic Paris 2024
Caulfield Grammar congratulates William Petric (Class of 2022) on his remarkable achievement of competing at the Paris Olympics. In this exclusive video, William shares how the support and experiences from his time at Caulfield played an instrumental role in his journey to Olympic success.
