Home

Olympic gold medalist John Peers visits daughters’ school Our Lady of Grace Primary School

Headshot of Ben Smith
Ben SmithThe West Australian
CommentsComments
John Peers with daughter Harper on his lap at Our Lady of Grace School in North Beach.
Camera IconJohn Peers with daughter Harper on his lap at Our Lady of Grace School in North Beach. Credit: Andrew Ritchie/The West Australian

When John Peers won his Olympic gold medal alongside fellow West Australian Matt Ebden in the men’s doubles, he quipped his daughters would have something interesting for show-and-tell.

On Tuesday, that became a reality when Peers arrived at their school to proudly show off his Paris gold medal — an achievement he admitted still gives him chills.

Peers was the star of the show at Our Lady of Grace Primary School in North Beach as he visited his daughters Ellie and Harper classrooms, just weeks after they had made the trip to France to witness sporting history.

The duo took centre stage at Roland Garros when they cheered on their dad in Australia’s heart-stopping men’s doubles final win over American duo Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.

After being presented as an “Olympic gold medalist” at a school assembly, Peers admitted to The West Australian his achievement had still not quite sunk in yet, but was glad to see his daughters’ smiles.

Peers with Annabelle Gonzales, Kai McCracken and daughter Ellie.
Camera IconPeers with Annabelle Gonzales, Kai McCracken and daughter Ellie. Credit: Andrew Ritchie/The West Australian

The Game AFL 2024

“That was the first time I’ve actually been introduced as Olympic gold medalist, and it gives me a little chill to hear it,” he said.

“They’ve been wanting to bring it into school since I got back, and they actually wanted to bring it back before I got back to Australia.

“The kids are very proud, and they love every minute of it — they had a great time over there, so it was really special be able to share it with them.”

Peers, who moved to Perth from Melbourne almost a decade ago, prevailed with Ebden in an epic 6-7 7-6 10-8 win in the gold medal match and said being able to win alongside his long-time friend was special.

“We live just up the road from each other, and to be able to share that moment with each other is just amazing. We’ve known each other since the junior tennis days,” he said.

“We’re a year apart, we’ve been on tour for a long time, so to be able to do it together, the script was just written perfectly for us.

Peers shows off his medal.
Camera IconPeers shows off his medal. Credit: Andrew Ritchie/The West Australian

“As Matt said back in Paris, it’s something we can always share a drink over for many years to come.”

After winning a bronze medal in the doubles in Tokyo, Peers said going two better in Paris was a much different experience.

“Tokyo was really special and we leaned on our team a lot more there, but Paris, to be able to have friends, family, full crowds, full atmosphere, the whole city buzzing, it’s something I’d only actually heard about from other Olympians — I’ve actually got chills thinking about it again,” he said.

“To be able to bring home a medal, let alone gold, was just even sweeter and even more special, especially for the way it all unfolded.”

Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.

Sign up for our emails