CQU graduate proves you don’t have to choose between elite sport and education
For Sri Lankan swimmer and recent CQUniversity graduate Akalanka Peiris, pursuing an elite sporting career and earning a university degree were never competing ambitions.
They were both part of the dream.
The Youth Olympian and Commonwealth Games finalist graduated from CQUniversity Melbourne last week with a Bachelor of Business (Accounting and Management), having balanced full-time study with an international swimming career that has taken him to five World Championships, two Commonwealth Games, two Asian Games and the Youth Olympics.
He currently holds five Sri Lankan national records and was ranked in the world’s top 25 swimmers – the only Sri Lankan swimmer to achieve the feat.
Since moving to Australia, Akalanka has continued to excel in the pool, ranking fourth in Australia in 2025, becoming Victorian State Champion and breaking a Victorian Country Record.
But behind the achievements is a story of determination, sacrifice and the support that helped him pursue both pathways.
“I’ve always wanted to study at a high level while competing at the top of my sport,” Akalanka said.
“It wasn’t easy, and there were days I wanted to quit. I worked part-time, attended lectures, completed assignments and trained — even during holidays — so I could cover my tuition and living costs.
“Looking back, I’m proud that I managed to do both.”
Akalanka’s journey to Australia began at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where a conversation with an Australian swimming coach sparked the idea of moving to Australia to train alongside elite coaches while continuing his education.
He chose CQUniversity to study business, drawn to its supportive and welcoming environment.
The flexibility provided by his lecturers became particularly important as he continued representing Sri Lanka internationally.
While preparing for the 2023 Asian Games, attempting to qualify for the 2024 Olympics and competing at the 2024 World Championships, Akalanka was often juggling assignments, lectures and exams around an international competition schedule.
“Balancing assignments, catching up on missed lectures and preparing for exams around that competition schedule was genuinely tough,” he said.
“I leaned on my lecturers for recorded lectures, assignment extensions and makeup exams, and they were incredibly understanding.”
CQUniversity Director of Sport Strategy Professor Fabio Serpiello said Akalanka’s journey demonstrated what could be achieved when talented athletes were given the support to pursue both sporting and academic ambitions.
“Elite athletes shouldn’t have to choose between their sporting dreams and their education,” Mr Serpiello said.
“Our role is to help create an environment where students can pursue excellence in their sport while also building the knowledge, skills and qualifications that will support their future beyond sport.
“Akalanka’s journey is a wonderful example of what can happen when determination, talent and the right support come together within an educational environment built for flexibility.”
Akalanka also became a PASS (Peer Assisted Study Session) leader in his final year, supporting other students in subjects in which he excelled while gaining valuable experience that could fit around his training schedule.
His wife, Salani Senevirathne, said she had watched first-hand the commitment and sacrifice that had gone into balancing Akalanka’s sporting and academic ambitions.
“I have seen how much work Akalanka has put into every part of this journey,” Ms Senevirathne said.
“He has had to balance training, international competitions, work and university, often when it would have been much easier to focus on just one of those things.
“Seeing him graduate this month is incredibly special because it represents so much more than a degree.
“It is the result of years of determination and a belief that he could achieve both his sporting and academic dreams.”
Prof Serpiello said supporting elite athletes and performers is about recognising that success could take many forms.
“Sport can teach students incredible lessons about discipline, resilience, goal-setting and performing under pressure,” he said.
“We want our student-athletes to be able to take those qualities into their education and, ultimately, into their careers.”
Akalanka has since secured Australian permanent residency through the Global Talent pathway, providing another significant milestone in his journey.
He now hopes to continue pursuing his Olympic dream of representing Sri Lanka while building a career in accounting and sharing his experience with the next generation of swimmers.
His advice to other international students is simple.
“Anything is possible if you’re willing to put in the work. I believed in myself, and I also want to thank my family and everyone who helped me along the way. I wouldn’t be here without them.”
For Akalanka, graduation is not the end of the journey – it is another starting block.
“I want to keep competing at the highest level and represent Sri Lanka at the Olympics – that’s still the dream I’m chasing,” he said.
“I also want to give back by sharing what I’ve learned with the next generation of swimmers coming through.
“Professionally, I’m looking to build my career in accounting, putting my Bachelor of Business to work.”
