2000
Sydney 2000
2 silver100m breaststroke and 4 × 100m medley relay
Hi, I'm Leisel Jones
Olympic champion, broadcaster, speaker. Always myself.
You might know me from the pool. Perhaps you’ve heard me on the radio or seen me with a microphone in hand.
I’m a four-time Olympian, a proud Australian and someone who loves a good conversation. These days, I bring my experience, humour and honest perspective to speaking, MC work and sports media on the Gold Coast and beyond.
But before we get to all that, there’s something I should clear up.
It started with a dream.
And a few contraband cookies.
Yes, I took contraband into Sydney’s Olympic Village.
In my defence, I was only 15, and McDonald’s cookies remain a particularly underrated menu item.
It was 2000. NSYNC were everywhere, I was painting my nails green and gold to calm my nerves, and I was about to compete at my first Olympic Games.
As the youngest member of Australia’s swimming team, I came home with two silver medals and a taste of something I had dreamed about for years.
Growing up in Queensland, my big dream involved standing on a podium in a green and gold tracksuit. Representing Australia meant everything to me.
What followed took me further than I could have imagined.
Four Olympics.
Nine medals.
One very proud Australian.
By 18, I was competing at my second Olympic Games in Athens, where I won my first Olympic gold as part of Australia’s world record-breaking medley relay team.
But individual Olympic gold was still the dream.
In Beijing in 2008, after years of training, setbacks and learning to believe in myself, I finally won the 100m breaststroke. I also came home with another relay gold and a silver in the 200m breaststroke.
London 2012 became my fourth and final Olympics. One last relay silver brought my tally to nine Olympic medals, and I became the first Australian swimmer to compete at four Olympic Games.
Then it was time to farewell competitive swimming. And, thankfully, the swimsuit wedgies.
My career at a glance
4 Olympic Games
Representing Australia from Sydney 2000 to London 2012.
9 Olympic medals
Three gold, five silver and one bronze.
7 world championship titles
Competing against the best in the world.
16 world records
Setting new benchmarks on the world stage.
10 Commonwealth Games gold medals
Across Manchester, Melbourne and Delhi.
23 national titles
Across a career spanning more than a decade.
There was more happening beneath the surface.
From the outside, success can look fairly straightforward. Work hard. Win medals. Be happy.
My experience was more complicated.
Growing up in the spotlight brought expectations I wasn’t always equipped to manage. There was pressure from coaches, the media and myself. There were public opinions about my body, difficult team dynamics and personal battles with depression.
I could feel completely at home in the water and still feel like I didn’t belong.
Learning to understand myself took time. So did recognising that my worth wasn’t tied to a result, a world record or somebody else’s approval.
That’s a conversation I care deeply about today.
Through speaking and advocacy, I share my experiences with mental health, body image and identity in the hope that honest conversations can help people feel less alone.
Finding my feet outside the pool.
Retirement had some immediate benefits. Losing the 4am alarm was an excellent start. Working out who I was without swimming took a little longer.
For years, my days had revolved around training, competition and the next goal. Suddenly, I had the freedom to choose something different, along with the slightly uncomfortable task of figuring out what that might be.
So I tried new things.
I wrote my memoir, Body Lengths. I studied psychology, explored fitness and Pilates, and trekked the Kokoda Trail.
I also discovered how much I enjoyed telling stories, asking questions and connecting with people through broadcasting.
There have been a few unexpected experiences along the way, including cockroaches on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! and stepping well outside my comfort zone on The All New Monty.
I was also the first person to leave the jungle. Apparently, I have a knack for coming first, one way or another.
Apparently, retiring from swimming didn’t mean I was finished challenging myself.
Still in sport.
Just holding a microphone.
Sport has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I understand the preparation, the pressure and everything that can sit behind a single performance.
Today, I’m a co-host on Triple M Gold Breakfast, and I bring that same sporting perspective to broadcasting, presenting and live conversations.
My media experience includes hosting Network Ten’s coverage of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, hosting the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships and conducting pool deck interviews at the Australian Swimming Championships.
I also provided expert swimming commentary for Seven’s Tokyo Olympics coverage, alongside a career in radio and television.
What I enjoy most is finding the story that helps people connect. Sometimes that means unpacking a big sporting moment. Sometimes it means giving an athlete the space to show a different side of themselves.
For sports presenting, athlete interviews, Q&A panels and event hosting, I bring curiosity, humour and a genuine love of the conversation.
Sharing what I’ve learnt along the way.
On stage, I talk about the experiences that shaped me, including the ones that never came with a medal.
The pressure to perform. Finding confidence. Navigating change. Learning to listen to yourself when everyone else has an opinion.
My speaking style is honest, personal and full of humour. I want people to enjoy themselves, recognise something of their own experience and leave with something useful to think about.
As an MC, I bring that same warmth and energy to the room, helping people feel welcome, keeping conversations flowing and giving the occasion the attention it deserves.
Four Games I’ll never forget.
2004
Athens 2004
1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronzeGold in the 4 × 100m medley relay, silver in the 200m breaststroke and bronze in the 100m breaststroke
2008
Beijing 2008
2 gold, 1 silverGold in the 100m breaststroke and 4 × 100m medley relay, silver in the 200m breaststroke
2012
London 2012
1 silver4 × 100m medley relay
Recognition
along the way
- Medal of the Order of Australia, OAM
- Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductee, 2015
- International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee, 2017
- Young Queenslander of the Year, 2006
- Australian Swimmer of the Year, 2006
- Australian Female Athlete of the Year, 2005 and 2006
- Commonwealth Games closing ceremony flag bearer, 2006
- Australian Swim Team leadership committee member, 2007
- Awarded the Keys to the City of Redcliffe
The story behind Body Lengths.
Writing Body Lengths gave me the opportunity to share what life had really been like, both in and out of the pool.
It’s a personal account of growing up in the public eye, chasing a dream and learning to feel comfortable in my own skin.
There are proud moments, difficult truths and plenty of humour. Much like life, really.
Let’s start a conversation.
Planning a sporting event, looking for an MC or bringing a fresh perspective to your next conference or broadcast?
I’d love to hear what you have in mind.
Available for speaking, MC work and sports media engagements across the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Northern NSW and Australia-wide.
Available for events and media engagements across the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Northern NSW and Australia-wide