Coming from Stockton, New South Wales, Norris relocated to the Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra in 1999 after being awarded a scholarship.

At his first Olympics in Sydney, Norris made a poor start, missing the final of the 400-metre individual medley.

Willed on by a partisan home crowd, he managed to hang on to the third position as the favourites surged for the finish line.

However, in 2003, he had no success in his three events, failing to medal at the 2003 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

He fared even worse at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, failing to reach a single final.