Brent Berk swam for the Punahou School in Honolulu, and then later for the Santa Clara Swim Club and Stanford. He graduated from Stanford in 1971, after making several All-American teams. He made the Olympic team by placing second in the US Olympic Trials in the 400 free. He made the final of the 400 free in Mexico City but was very ill there, and finished eighth. He continued to swim competitively but missed the 1972 Olympic team when he placed fourth in the 200 free at the US Trials. Berk settled in his native Hawai’i where he later took up competitive body surfing, competing into his 40s. He was inducted into the Hawaii Swim Hall of Fame in 2003.