Murray Rose was an inspiration for generations of Australians, in and out of the swimming pool where he won six Olympic medals.

Yet despite his role building up the 'golden era' of the Australian swim team in the 1950s and 60s, the stories that emerged last year in the aftermath of his death surprised many younger people who had barely heard of him.

Murray Rose personified many of the virtues of the Australian athlete: a good sport, a calm and collected mind under pressure and a consistent race winner.

But it was his interests outside the pool that he claimed gave him a winning edge and helped focus his mind. He was a vegetarian and a follower of an Indian philosopher, long before such 'new age' ideas became fashionable.

Before he died, Murray Rose was working on a candid memoir and in this program, some of the sport's biggest names and his close family members offer an insight into a man who, it transpires, was much more than a fast swimmer.