Ellie Cole

Ellie’s Paralympic Journey

After losing her right leg to cancer at age three, Ellie has gone on to become one of Australia’s most successful Paralympians.

Ellie grew up on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria and currently lives in the Upper North Shore of Sydney. Her performance at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games helped lay the foundations for her future achievements; picking up six medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

A major setback in Ellie’s career came in 2013 following a double shoulder reconstruction: she was told she may never swim again. Against all odds, Ellie pushed through and competed in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Today, with an impressive 15 Paralympic medals under her belt, it’s easy to see why Ellie was such an asset to Australian sport for Tokyo 2020.

When she’s not pushing the boundaries of Australian sport, Ellie is busy advocating for others. She is passionate about championing diversity and inclusion in sport and beyond. As a result, Ellie was a guest speaker at Cannes Lions in 2019.

Never one to dwell on adversity, she's a truly inspirational athlete.

With rigorous training, recovery remained the most important tool in Ellie’s late twenties while preparing for Tokyo 2020. Ellie’s success at the Games pushed her to victory to become Australia’s most decorated female Paralympic athlete, leading her to co-host Nine’s Paralympic swimming coverage at Paris 2024.