User:Darrenlange/sandbox

Darren Niel Lange (born 5 August 1971 in Toowoomba, Queensland) is a former freestyle swimming champion from Australia. As a 15 year old boy from regional Toowoomba, Darren dreamed of swimming for his country at the Summer OLYMPIC Games he immediately found himself confronted by people who thought it was their obligation to point out why he couldn’t achieve his goals. Teachers, coaches and peers all literally scoffed at the idea of a Toowoomba athlete ever competing at the OLYMPIC level. No swimmer had ever done it before. He swam for years striving every day to reach his goal. Darren trialled on three separate occasions to qualify for an Australian Team but fell short each time. Persistence and a belief in his goals triumphed in the end when he qualified for the 1991 World Championship Team. Darren went on to represented Australia on eleven national teams including the ultimate... The 1992 Barcelona OLYMPICS. Two years later Darren achieved another life long dream by winning a gold and silver medal at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada. While still competing internationally during 1994, Darren commenced his business career and founded the Darren Lange Swimming Academy (DLSA) now one of South East Queensland largest swim schools. Although at the time, commercially unsophisticated, he quickly found that many of the skills he had learned while competing in the pool, translated into his new area of competition - business. In 1998 after being out of the water for 2 years, Darren refocused his goals on making it back onto the Australian Swim Team. Through 1000’s of hours of hard work and sacrifice, Darren achieved what seemed to be the impossible by being selected to represent Australia at the European World Cup series as well as the Short Course World Championships. Darren then went on to win a silver medal at the Sheffield World Cup and place 6th in the Athens World Championships in the 50m freestyle in a PB time of 22.12. On 23 June 2000, Lange was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for being a Commonwealth Medallist. With the goal of performing on the world swimming stage now achieved, Darren has turned his attention back to expanding his business career with the purchase of Bird Pool Services in 2006, now rebranded Lange Pool and Spa. Life Highlights:
 * Born and raised in Toowoomba (5th August 1971).
 * Started swimming at the age of 5.
 * Gained a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport in 1988.
 * Made 1st Australian Team in 1990.
 * Awarded the 1991 Australian Swimming's 'Male Rookie of the Year'.
 * Gold and Silver medalist 1991 US Open Winter Championships.
 * Former Commonwealth Record Holder for the 4x100m freestyle.
 * Highest ranking of 8th fastest in the world. 1992 50m freestyle.
 * Winner of the Darling Downs Sportsman of the Year award 3 times from 1991 through to 1993.
 * Ranked number 1 in Australia for the 50m freestyle 1993 and 1994.
 * Represented Australia on 11 National Teams.
 * GOLD and SILVER medalist at the 1994 Commonwealth Games.
 * 1992 Barcelona Olympic Representative.
 * Multiple Pan Pacific Championship Medalist.
 * Multiple World Championship finalist.
 * Multiple World Cup Medalist.
 * Awarded the Australia Sports Medal for contribution and dedication to the sport of swimming.

Business/Community Commitments:
 * Founder of the Darren Lange Swimming Academy (DLSA), one of the largest learn-to-swim programs in South East Queensland.
 * The DLSA specialises in learn-to-swim (6 months to adults), squad swimming, professional school programs, Aqua Aerobics,
 * hydrotherapy and fitness swimming.
 * The DLSA operates out of two state of the art facilities located at Erin Street Wilsonton and the Centenary Aquatic Centre,
 * Centenary Heights.
 * Former Sports Presenter WIN TV Darling Downs.
 * Professional Motivational Speaker.
 * Former Patron- Leukemia Foundation (Darling Downs Region).
 * Chairman of the 1998 Commonwealth Games Fundraising Committee - Darling Downs Region.
 * Darren continually gives time, product and DLSA services to local schools and charities. At the launch of the Leukemia Foundation
 * Swim-A-Thon Darren raised over $5,000 by swimming 452 laps (11.3km) in three hours.
 * Health Life ambassador for regional anti-drug campaign.
 * The regional ‘face’ of the Relay for Life Fundraising promotion for cancer research.
 * Purchased Bird Pool Services and re-branded it as Lange Pool & Spa.
 * Committee member on the Athlete Advisory Committee for the successful Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Host City Bid.

National Competitive Results:
 * 1990  *5th 100m freestyle   *2nd 50m freestyle
 * 1991	 *3rd 100m freestyle  *2nd 50m freestyle
 * 1992  *4th 100m freestyle   *2nd 50m freestyle
 * 1993  *4th 100m freestyle   *1st 50m freestyle
 * 1994  *4th 100m freestyle   *1st 50m freestyle
 * 1995  *2nd 100m freestyle   *2nd 50m freestyle
 * 1996  *2nd 50m freestyle
 * 1999  *2nd 50m freestyle

International Competitive Results:
 * 1991 World Championships - Perth Australia.
 * Placed 5th in the 4x100m freestyle.
 * Placed 8th in the 50m freestyle.


 * 1991 Pan Pacific Champs - Edmonton Canada.
 * Placed 2nd in the 4x100m freestyle.
 * Placed 3rd in the 50m freestyle.


 * 1991 US Open Championships - Minnesota USA.
 * Placed 1st in the 50m freestyle.
 * Placed 2nd in the 100m freestyle.


 * 1992 OLYMPIC Games - Barcelona, Spain.
 * Placed 7th in the 4x100m freestyle.
 * Placed 8th in the 50m freestyle.


 * 1993 World Cup Grand Prix - France, England, Germany & Sweden.
 * Placed 2nd in the 50m freestyle in Malmo.
 * Placed 4th in the 50m freestyle in France and England.


 * 1993 Pan Pacific Championships - Kobe, Japan.
 * Placed 2nd in the 4x100m freestyle.
 * Placed 4th in the 50m freestyle.


 * 1994 Commonwealth Games - Victoria, Canada.
 * Placed 1st in the 4x100m freestyle.
 * Placed 2nd in the 50m freestyle.


 * 1995 Pan Pacific Championships - Atlanta, USA.
 * Placed 2nd in the 4x100m freestyle.
 * Placed 4th in the 50m freestyle.


 * 1996 World Cup Grand Prix - France, Sweden & Finland.
 * Placed 3rd in the 50m freestyle in Finland.


 * 2000 World Cup Grand Prix - England, Germany, Italy.
 * Placed 3rd in the 50m freestyle in England.


 * 2000 Short Course World Championships - Athens, Greece.
 * Placed 6th in the 50m freestyle.
 * Placed 7th in the 4x100 freestyle relay.