***** 2 SILVER *****

Congratulations for your two silver Olympics medals Brenty. It doesn't seem enough just saying those few works. There should be music and bells ringing! I am so proud of you but it doesn't come anywhere near to the pride that Nathan has for his little brother.
This whole experience had been a lesson for me. Brenty has written in every profile in many different places that Nathan is his number 1 inspiration. I had seen Brenty write it before in other profiles. His Australian swimmer profile has had it since Brenty first made the team. I had never thought much of it. But every time Brenty is required to write a new profile (the latest being his one on the Australian Olympics Team) he ALWAYS lists Nathan as his inspiration. His defining moment is having breakfast with Nathan when Nath was the Australian record holder for the 50 and Brenty was just starting his swimming career. I say I find this interesting because I was involved with Nathan all those years ago and I never thought much of it. I have to be really honest and say in those early stages I thought very little of Brenty as he was just a pimply kid with braces! And i have always compared Nathan and Brenty's relationship to that of me and my sister Jackie. Jackie and I are very close. We shared a room for our whole childhood. When we moved out of home we moved in together. When we have had dramas in our lives or have needed help we have always been there for each other. One of Jackie ex boyfriends battled with his jealousy. He used to be jealous because he felt Jackie's eyes lit up when she saw me after school (we went to different schools) and he wanted to be the one to light Jackie's eyes up! I'm sure she would agree getting married and replacing each other with our husbands has been a long journey for us. But one that has been completed quite successfully over the last few years. And we are still close but we realise that our husbands are the first to hear our news closely followed by each other!
But as close as we are, she is not my main inspiration in life. I have greatly underestimated the influence Nathan has had in Brenty's life. Just because they don't talk a mile a minute when they are together doesn't not mean they care any less for each other. Boys show their emotion very differently. (Something I will be an expert at in about 20 years i am sure!) I remember talking to Kata (Brenty's girlfriend) once and she told me how much Brenty admired Nathan and i couldn't believe it. I believe it now. I can see it. I admire it. I don't think I am the only one now who realises the magnitude of Brenton affection for his brother. I can see the reciprocated feelings from Nathan. Brenton has achieved something that Nathan desperately wanted to achieve and couldn't. And if there is one person in this world that could make Nathan so unbelievable proud without jealousy it is Brenton.
But i think Brent will be surprised with the impact he has had on his nephew lives. They only grasp a little of Brenty's achievements. But i can see as they age their hero worship of Brenty will only grow. And it is not going to be just that their beloved uncle in an Olympian. It will also be that their uncle is an amazing person, who loves them and takes an genuine interest in them and sets guidelines and enforces them. Brenton takes a huge role in raising our children. One that i believe he doesn't fully understand yet and probably wont until he has his own children. But give the boys a few more years and they will be listing Uncle Brenton as their greatest source of inspiration!
As i said in the beginning if i am proud of Brenty and the boys are proud of Uncle Brenty then Nathan is 1000 times prouder. And i can't wait to see Nathan see his brother when he returns from Beijing because it is sure to be one very emotional reunion!