Australia’s most decorated female Paralympian adds the 2021 Ultra Tune MAXIM HOT 100 to her collection of 17 Paralympic Games medals. In this winner’s cover photo shoot and interview she discusses her amazing career achievements, facing adversity, her underlying drive to change the narrative of disability and being crowned MAXIM’s most influential woman of the year…
Congratulations on topping the 2021 Ultra Tune MAXIM HOT 100 list, Ellie. How does it feel to be No.1?
Never has there been a better time for minority groups to have the spotlight and the opportunities to showcase their authentic selves. I have always been inspired to set an example and start the conversation on embracing differences. Awareness is a powerful thing. This MAXIM cover is reframing the message of diversity and normalising the portrayal of people with disabilities. To have an opportunity like this is very humbling.
You’ve had many number one finishes in your career. How does this one compare?
My athletic career has partnered well with advocating for others. Although my professional and personal life are incomparable in some ways, sport has given me such a wonderful platform to challenge others to think about their own thoughts that can be stigmatising. To be recognised as a strong woman is certainly a number one finish in my personal life and one that I will always strive for.
For those who don’t know much about you, describe your background and life story (so far) in a nutshell.
I had a one in 10 million chance of having a Neurosarcoma. I was diagnosed, against all odds, at the age of three and against all odds I also survived and started swimming for rehabilitation. I loved to play sport when I was a child and through this found passion. I have been able to secure myself 17 Paralympic medals and the title of most decorated female Paralympian in Australian history. Not bad for a girl who just loves to swim.
After being diagnosed with this rare cancer in your right leg at just two and then having to amputate it at three. What was the toughest thing about your disability during your childhood?
A general lack of understanding about disabilities from the community became challenging and hurtful throughout my childhood years. I felt as though I was trying to run forward in a society that kept grabbing at my shirt and pulling me back in line. I was lucky to be surrounded by supportive friends and family who celebrated every moment I was able to step outside this once oppressive disability box I had found myself in. When I discovered the Paralympic movement I began to see Para athletes use their personal stories of success and strength with positive tones. They were real and relatable to me and I worked tirelessly to change the narrative from that moment on.
What kind of challenges do you still face today?
In terms of my physical capabilities, none. Well, that’s when my prosthetic is working as it should. Having your prosthetic leg snap when trying to carry six bags of groceries is certainly challenging! For me personally though, trauma has been a very real story. I don’t remember much about my cancer fight, but my body has kept a score. Living with trauma through life can be so challenging – anything can be a trigger. For me, bright fluorescent lights, hospitals, medical facilities and medical professionals that are completely unrelated to oncology can give me the unexplainable shakes.
When did you know you wanted to be a competitive swimmer?
I realised very quickly in sport that the focus was on achievement and athleticism. Sport was about being fit, powerful, fearless and a stark contrast to the world that I grew up in. I was 10 years old when I discovered competitive swimming and have always embraced the strength and determination that sport carries. . I really enjoy the training. I have mostly swam with men during my career and its very rewarding to be challenged in trying to keep up, and sometimes, even beating them to the wall.
Why swimming and what made you so damn good at it?
I am lucky to get a second chance at life. I swim for those who haven’t been as lucky. To be grateful at a chance was a good beginning. I have this underlying drive to change the narrative of disability. I wanted to be faster than the fastest swimmers in my squad. They all had two legs. I suppose it has always been an unwritten challenge to swim against others who were much more capable than I was and finding other ways to win. When you play sport with a disability, you develop a mind of innovation. Creativity and adaptability is key.
You’ve represented Australia in four Paralympic Games (your first in Beijing 2008) how did the pandemic-affected Tokyo 2020 compare to previous ones?
Training for a Games that could be postponed had many silver linings. Every athlete had a moment to decide whether they wanted to commit to an extra year of training for a Games that may never happen. I believe it was this firm commitment that catapulted the determination of the athletes to heights we had never seen before. We learnt to never quit. When the world is pushing at you, you push back even harder. We challenged ourselves in so many ways. We became the swimmers who learnt how to be professional without a swimming pool. That sounds crazy, right? It was. I was trying to simulate my training environment as best I could by holding my breath on a spin bike.
You confirmed Tokyo was your final Games appearance. Did you approach these Games any differently?
Over the Tokyo campaign I finally learnt to be grateful for whatever comes. In preparation, we learnt to let go of whatever stood in our way. Before the Games even began, athletes were realising that sport was a celebration and not just a means to an end. It really took the pressure off and focused the spotlight on enjoying the experience. Also, I learnt how to speak a little bit of Japanese before I left for Tokyo. Their volunteers were so excited. Based off their giggling though, who knows what I was saying to them!
What goes through your mind when you’re in the pool competing?
I have always struggled with the enormous amount of pressure I seem to place on myself when I am competing. We try as best we can to shove down the nerves but as athletes we strive for nothing less than perfection. At university, I learnt of the Yerkes–Dodson law. There is an empirical relationship between pressure and performance. Over time, I have been able to recognise where I sit on this curve and how to bring myself to my optimum state of physiological and mental arousal. So, sometimes at a competition I will find myself sitting in a corner and working on my breathing. Other times, I will be jumping around and trying to pump myself up. It all just depends on how much stress I have in my personal life around competition time. Swimming has gifted me with an incredible sense of self-awareness.
As Australia’s most decorated female Paralympian ever, you have won 17 Paralympic medals over four Games – six gold, five silver and six bronze. How does this make you feel?
Being a Paralympic athlete is truly an honour. Being upfront, I was unaware in Tokyo that I would be swimming for a greatest-of-all-time title. Our Paralympics Australia CEO, Lynne Anderson, mentioned the title to me in passing at the athletes’ village before competition began. I have treasured every swim in the gold cap for Australia. Sometimes, there was a medal waiting for me at the end of a race. Sometimes, there wasn’t and that’s all there is to it. I feel like the same person and swimmer now as I did when I walked into my first Paralympic Games at 16 years old. I am a bit more disciplined these days with my diet though.
Where do you keep all your medals? Do they have their own room?
Just under my bed! Beijing and London are framed with Rio and Tokyo still in their ceremony boxes. I was waiting until retirement before I frame them all together. I can’t wait to reunite them in a gold, silver and bronze feast for the eyes.
How do you top this incredible achievement? Where to from here?
I have spent my life always chasing bigger and better things. For the rest of the year I think I will set aside some time to take a breath. Next year will be my last competition in the Commonwealth Games. After that, I will still be looking at putting disability at the heart of the diversity agenda yet in a different capacity.
What has been your most memorable highlight in an amazing career?
Two of my career highlights centre around the Tokyo Games. The first – walking into the Tokyo Aquatic Centre for the first time. It was so grand, so blue, so quiet and so beautiful. Tokyo had a questionable lead up with no real answers until the day competition began. It was also a tremendous honour to carry the flag for Australia at the closing ceremony. I was so proud of my team – wearing the green and gold makes you part of an incredible legacy, regardless of what the result is. To be able to represent this legacy at a Games that will forever go down in history will be the most memorable moment of my life. Carrying the flag was a fairy-tale ending to what I consider to be fairy-tale career.
What is your main message to those who want to reach similar goals that you have achieved?
There is the common saying that “You can’t be what you can’t see”. Well, you can be what you can’t see. You can do what has never been done before. Anyone can change the world, or start taking steps to redefine a marganilised group with the right passion, a big dream, innovation, allies and a stroke of luck. Changing the world aside, my advice is to follow your nose and do whatever makes you feel the most fulfilled.
Do you have a message for the MAXIM audience?
I am very grateful at the opportunity to feature in MAXIM. Across our globe, we are seeing a progressive state of positive social change. Those who break away from the mould are being celebrated and feeling a new found sense of freedom. We can finally feel comfortable and embrace who they really are. I encourage you all to set your example on being authentic and genuine. It can take some courage. You never know whose life you will change for the better, if not your own.
You’ve overcome so much adversity in your life. What’s your secret on how you keep on keeping on?
I feel as though there isn’t a secret when it comes to overcoming adversity. Sometimes, I also need to take some time out and go underground for a few days. Learning to accept that life isn’t always linear and that it throws curveballs and can be painful at times is important. When things go wrong these days, I am never usually surprised. Things go wrong all the time. Spending too much energy on what may be going wrong can slow down your progress in trying to make it right.
Here at MAXIM the word “hot” encapsulates various meanings — from being inspirational to talented and generally “hot” both inside and out. How do you maintain your “hotness”?
Being authentic and confident is very attractive. Showing others your courage will let them know they can be courageous, too. Learning to love your differences wholeheartedly can sometimes take a lot of courage. Appreciating others who are different to you is also important. It’s these differences that make us better. We learn to love them and make the best of them. It gives you some impressive confidence when you accept every little thing about yourself.
You look strong, fit and gorgeous in this MAXIM feature – how did you feel about doing the photo shoot for us?
I get nervous when I am in an environment that I am unfamiliar with. I really enjoyed this experience and once I met the team I felt very relaxed. You guys were so welcoming and a joy to be around. I thoroughly enjoyed the creativity, too – it’s incredible what the MAXIM team can do with a backdrop, some lighting and a few boxes.
Less is more! Finally, what are your plans for the rest of 2021 and 2022?
I’ve taken very few holidays in my lifetime due to training. I’d say I’m quite optimistic planning a holiday during a lockdown, but I’m hoping to see some more of Australia. I love road trips without itineraries. Also, the Commonwealth Games are on the horizon next year, as well as a number of new opportunities that allow me to indulge in the things I’m passionate about. Stay tuned! ■
Status Update
NAME: Ellie Cole
DATE OF BIRTH: December 12, 1991
HOMETOWN: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
LIVES: Sydney, Australia
FIVE-WORD SELF DESCRIPTION: “Happy, grateful, empathetic, adaptable and ambitious. Not always in that order!”
LIFE MOTTO: “My life word would have to be ‘gratitude’. It turns what we currently have into enough. Someone once told me, ‘The grass is greener where you water it.’ I don’t really look into what others have on the other side – I just appreciate what I have already been given and make the best of it.”
INSTAGRAM: @elliecoleswim
Photographed by NEIL DIXON
Interview by SANTI PINTADO
Hair & make-up by LIDIJA JEVREMOVIC
For the full article grab the November 2021 issue of MAXIM Australia from newsagents and convenience locations. Subscribe here.
