Ron Burns was born in Muswellbrook, NSW, and grew up in Auburn, Sydney. He trained as a teacher and spent 30 years in education, serving as principal in Australia and Canada. He later moved into sports administration and served as the Chair of the Australian Recreation Industry Training Company and the CEO of the 9th Australian Masters Games. Awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000, Ron now lives in Canberra with his wife Gail.