Imagine having a chat to a colleague in line at the café and then finding out they casually represented Australia at not one, but two Olympic Games!
Enter friend of The Water Cooler and Olympic sprinter, Patrick Dwyer. Patrick is a Senior OTC Analyst in the Sydney office, with a very impressive pre-Paramount background. Patrick sat down with The Water Cooler over a coffee, but we had so many questions, we then had to get a beer, and eventually a class of Pinot.
What is your role and what does it entail?
I am a Senior OTC Analyst, I am part of a team that handles invoicing functions, collections, credit and risk control, cash management, forecasting, reconciling and reporting. We handle the OTC functions for a number of Paramount’s businesses in Australia and Asia.
We recently found out that you are an ex-Olympian who represented Australia at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games! Tell us everything.
The short bio is as a 400m runner in the sport of Athletics I competed in two Commonwealth Games, one World Championships, two Olympic Games and regularly on the Athletics Grand Prix circuit.
I was a full time athlete for eight years and was part of the 4x400m team that won a Silver medal at Athens Olympics in the 4x400m relay. My time as an international athlete took me all over the world through Asia the Middle East Europe and the U.S. The bulk of the competition was in Europe as that is where the sport’s popularity is the greatest. It’s not uncommon to have sold out stadiums for the larger one-day GP events.
What was the experience like getting to represent your own country from your own country in 2000?
It is truly amazing to be able to represent your country and being able to compete in a home Olympics in a stadium with 110,000 people was even more special. The power and energy of the crowd at Sydney was outstanding. Even people who are not that interested in sport still tell me today how much they enjoyed the Sydney Olympics atmosphere.
Do you still train as a runner these days? Were you one of the maniac’s running the Sydney Marathon in 35 degree heat over the weekend?
Ha, ha absolutely not! I was a 400 metre sprinter with no natural aerobic endurance whatsoever – 405 metres would be too long!
I still try to keep in shape by going to the gym and doing sprint sessions, on a grass track though. The wear and tear on my body has caught up with me somewhat, so the days of elite Olympic performances are long gone.
What drew you to world of finance?
COVID!
Who is Patrick Dwyer outside of work? What do you love to do on weekends?
I like being active and outdoors. I love to get a swim in at the beach or go for a short drive out of the city. I like the simple things like sharing a meal with friends and family.
