David Wilkie won a bronze medal at the 1970 Commonwealth Games, a silver at the 1972 Summer Olympics, won the 200 metres breaststroke World Championship in world record time in 1973 and won two golds and a silver at the 1974 Commonwealth Games. In 1976, while at the University of Miami, he won a Gold medal in the 200m Breaststroke in World Record time and another Silver medal at the Montreal Olympic Games. Warrender swimmers Gordon Downie and Alan McClatchey (then studying at the University of Michigan) also won Olympic bronzes as part of the 4 × 200 m Freestyle Relay team. Over 300 Warrender members attended a reception in 1976 for Wilkie in Edinburgh where he paid tribute to Warrender coaches Frank Thomas and John Ashton for their contributions to his success. Wilkie was voted European Male Swimmer of the Year and also awarded the MBE.