Keith is a Senior Research Associate in the Faculty of Health at Federation University, Australia, where he worked for over 30 years in biomechanics and aquatics.

As the first appointed National Coaching Director for Swimming Australia, in 1980, he introduced a national Swim Coaching Accreditation Scheme. He coached competitive swimming from the early 1960s until 2007.

In the early 1980s, he was the inaugural National Technical Director for the Royal Life Saving Society – Australia and is the original author of their publication Swimming and Lifesaving. He introduced self rescue via a “Swim & Survive” program, which had a major influence on the approach to learn to swim programs in Australia from 1982 and contributed to a significant reduction of the national drowning toll. He revised rescue teaching to move from assessment of set drills to an initiative teaching and testing approach.

His research interests range from the application of biomechanics to competitive swim performance through to water safety, drowning prevention and lifesaving techniques.

Keith has supervised post graduate students in aquatic studies and has published widely in the fields of performance and water safety/drowning prevention. He continues to maintain an interest in drowning prevention in his retirement.