The Australian Institute of Sport had been open for one year when Bronwyn Marshall travelled to Canberra and as she says, “laid eyes on the place that would change my life.” She could not believe that these amazing facilities and coaches were here so that she could train and play basketball as much as she liked. “How much better could it get than doing the one thing you were passionate about all day?” she asks. The AIS, although in its infancy, would provide Bronwyn with opportunities that she had never imagined.
Bronwyn Marshall was born on the 31st of December, 1963 in Mackay, Queensland. Born into a family of five brothers, meant that she was physically active from an early age, participating in athletics, softball and netball at school and district level. A chance comment by her maths teacher, when she was fifteen about her height being good for basketball was the start of her lifelong love of the sport. She started playing interschool and Club competition in the under 18 age group and progressed quickly to playing A Grade in Rockhampton.
Within a year of first playing basketball Bronwyn was the MVP in U18s and A Grade in Rockhampton, made the Central Queensland team, played at the State Championships and had been named a reserve for the State U18 team.
Within three years she was a starter with the State U20 team, had moved to Brisbane and was awarded a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in 1982. Bronwyn credits Jill and Wally Lewis and Pam Hamilton-Smith with her early career. “Jill and Wally Lewis and Pam Hamilton-Smith epitomise why sport in this country is so good. They have been the backbone of the Lang Park basketball Club in Brisbane for as long as I can remember. They oversaw the Club going from a single court with an unsealed floor and low ceiling to a state-of-the-art training venue that forms part of the Suncorp Stadium. They also looked after to me when I first moved to Brisbane... which I have never forgotten,” says Bronwyn.
“The AIS was a turning point for me,” Bronwyn recalls, “Not only for my basketball but for my life. The AIS was only in its second year of operation. Athletes and coaches from all sports and the AIS staff all knew each other. It was a very close knit community that forged many lifelong friendships and working relationships.”
Bronwyn toured Japan and Korea early in 1982 with the AIS, an event which opened her eyes not only to the fierceness of international competition but also to what was out in the world for her to discover. “Adrian Hurley was my first coach at the AIS and he continues to be one of the most respected people in my life. He had just the right attitude for a bunch of rowdy eighteen year old women. We all loved him as a surrogate father figure,” says Bronwyn.
The AIS competed against College teams in the USA later that year. This was also the year that Bronwyn burst onto the Australian scene, playing with the AIS in the Women’s National League (WNBL) and being named in the Australian Senior Women's Squad after Queensland came second in the Australian U20 Women’s Championships.
Bronwyn was selected to the Australian Women’s Teamas a reserve for a series of games against New Zealand. Training with the Australian Squad and watching the team play set her determination to wear the Green and Gold.
In 1983 she got her chance and was named in the Australian Women’s Team which competed in the World Championships in Brazil. Australia finished in 11th place. Playing at this standard, made Bronwyn realise that making an Australian team was only half the battle. “The athleticism, fitness and skill of players from other countries made me realise how much more work was required,” she says. She also toured with the AIS to New Zealand and Europe that year.
In 1984 Bronwyn returned to Brisbane to play in the WNBL and after playing in the Beijing International Tournament with Australia she was selected to the Australian Team to compete at the 1984 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Cuba.
The Australian Women’s Team played great basketball in Cuba and were desperately unlucky to not qualify for the Olympics. “One memorable experience for me from the trip to Cuba was seeing Fidel Castro at one of the games and being amazed at the rock star reception he received from the crowd,” recalls Bronwyn. In the game against Cuba a Cuban player sank a “hail Mary” shot from half-way to defeat the Aussies. Australia failed to qualify for the Olympic Tournament in Los Angeles.
The bitter disappointment for Bronwyn and the teamat not qualifying was overcome when some Soviet Bloc teams and Cuba boycotted the Olympic Games and Australia replaced them. The National Women’s Team had returned to Australia before they were told the good news. “It was a dream that had been so unimaginable that I hadn't even dreamt it before going to Cuba,” says Bronwyn.
The Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984 was to be another watershed moment in Bronwyn's life. She says, “Only another Olympian can comprehend what is was like to walk into the Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony. Words such as pride, elation, anticipation and satisfaction do not do justice to the experience.”
Australia played very well in LA but the size and experience of the opposition was very telling until the last game when the team caused a huge upset to defeat Yugoslavia. The team did themselves and Australia proud and gained fifth place out of the sixth teams in the tournament.
Bronwyn returned from LA and was more and more determined to move up the ranks in basketball. In the WNBL she consolidated her game and was named in the All Star Five on two occasions. “Kathy Foster was the person who I most wished to emulate. We played the same position and I was always trying to learn from her and ultimately get her first five spot on the Australian Team. We roomed together quite often and her generosity of spirit which made her such a selfless player became quite evident in her personality. She really took me under her wing even when I was trying to get the better of her, which didn't happen very often,” says Bronwyn.
The World Championships were held in Russia in 1986 and Bronwyn was selected to the Australian Team that came in 9th position. Bronwyn was now pushing for a spot in the starting five of the Australian Team and was looking forward to the challenge of playing at another Olympics, this time in a more senior role.
Unfortunately, Bronwyn was not to have that opportunity as she had a shoulder reconstruction in 1988 and missed out on her chance to play at another Olympic Games (Seoul, Korea)
In 1989-90 she played professionally in Switzerland, being one of the first Australian women to play professionally in Europe. Upon her return Bronwyn retired from the WNBL at the age of 26 to take up other opportunities in her life. She did continue to play at Queensland State League level winning the MVP award and being named in the All Star Five every year that she played.
In 1993 she returned to Canberra as an AIS scholarship Coach with the women's program. She then coached Brisbane in the WNBL for three years before turning to sports administration.
Over the next thirteen years Bronwyn worked in a number of roles for a variety of sports, both in Australia and overseas. She continued to coach at Junior Club and Senior Club level. In 2009 she returned to university and retrained as an interior designer. She stayed in touch with basketball as a member of Basketball Australia's High Performance Commission.
Bronwyn Marshall played at two World Championships and one Olympic Games. She was a member of the first Australian Women’s Basketball Team to play at an Olympic Games. She was an All Star in the WNBL and one of the first Australian women players to play professionally in Europe.
In every sense Bronwyn Marshall was a trailblazer for women’s basketball in Australia.