Paralympic swimming star Ellie Cole holds her breath for gold

Having suffered a potentially career-ending double shoulder reconstruction after the London 2012 Paralympic Games, her victories in Rio 2016 Paralympic Games were all the more remarkable.

We are overjoyed to be joining Ellie on her journey for gold in 2021 with her as one of our Paralympic ambassadors! As Ellie clears the fog out of her goggles and gears up to swim for Australia at Tokyo 2020, we caught up with her to speak about where she draws her inspiration to keep out-lapping herself.

Q: When did your love for swimming start?

A: I started swimming as a form of rehabilitation after having my leg amputated from cancer. Swimming was a sport that I could participate in throughout my childhood where I didn’t feel different from my friends at school. Running, or any land-based activity, was very difficult for me.

Swimming was a sport that gave me the freedom to have a level playing field. I guess this is where my love of swimming started!

Q: In a difficult 2020, how did you keep motivated over the last 12 months?

A: As a Paralympian, I have had to find many different ways to adapt my pool training or gym training over my career. The last 12 months have provided a fantastic opportunity to be creative with how we train as athletes.

Most athletes are very structured and don’t warm to change, but after 15 years it was refreshing to challenge myself in a new way.

Q: How do spectators fuel your performance?

A: Spectators are always great to get some adrenaline pumping. Though, I’m excited to be racing with a limited crowd in Tokyo – it’s a chance for me to reflect on myself internally as an athlete and only that.

Q: What's something people don't know about you that’s unexpected?

A: I suffer from an extreme form of imposter-syndrome. I have always enjoyed chasing the perfection of swimming. It requires finesse, discipline and skill. After consistently working on my technique and fitness over the years, I found myself on the Australian Team and always wanted to be better.

I really enjoy the process more than the end result, so the times that I have stood on the podium or thought about my achievements in the pool makes my head spin. It can be quite overwhelming and I always have to pinch myself!

Q: What's the best piece of advice you can give to anyone that is just starting out?

A: Choose one thing every day that you can improve upon. This is just short-term goal setting in play. I have always left the pool knowing that I have improved some aspect of my swimming.

Q: Where in the world would you love to road trip in a Toyota right now?

A: Australia has some of the most beautiful scenery at our doorstep. I would love a road trip from Sydney to Darwin to visit my Dad. Road trips have always been my favourite kind of holiday, especially when following a vague itinerary. I like to wake up in the morning without any plans and just follow the road. It’s the little unexpected memories that we make along the way that make a road trip extra special.

Thanks Ellie!