Olympian on Board - Q&A with Nicole Livingstone

Olympian, media personality, wife and Mum of three, Nicole Livingstone wears many hats, and as a member of seven sporting association boards across Australia, certainly keeps herself busy all year round. Swimstyle caught up with Nicole to talk about her extensive career and her desire to promote Australian swimming on the global stage.

• When did you start to dream of representing Australia?

I watched the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games on TV when Michelle Ford won the 800m free and the Aussie men's medley relay team took home the gold. That was when I realised that it didn;t matter Australia was so far away from everyone else - so I announced to my family that I was going to swim in the Olympics!

• You have represented Australia at three Olympic Games and three Commonwealth Games, was there an international competition that stood out as particularly memorable for you?

Probably Barcelona in 1992. I was 21 and at the peak of my career with my fitness and racing the best it had ever been. Earlier that year I had broken the shortcourse 200m back world record, so I thought I had a chance of fulfilling the dream of winning an Olympic medal. My 200m back was like it was in slow motion - everything seemed to go right and it didn't hurt a bit. I swam my PB of 2.10,20 and won an Olympic bronze. That time stood as an Australian record for 16 years.

• Was it a difficult decision when you retired from swimming?

While I was tempted to get to Sydney for the Millennium Games as no Australian swimmer had been to 4 Olympics until Liesel Jones in 2012, I had done all I wanted to. I was lucky in that I had a job to go straight into with Channel 9 and I was ready to start the next chapter. I still felt old retiring at 25!

• Do you encourage your kids to swim, or are they fond of other sports?

Kids are lucky these days to have so many other sports and activities to become involved in from an early age compared to when I was growing up, and mine are taking full advantage! They are all swimming with the littlest now able to swim by himself and the big kids are in squad. They also play baseball, soccer, AFL, my daughter plays netball and the little guy has announced he wants to play basketball, at age 5!

• What influenced your decision to join the board of Swimming Australia?

I wanted to be part of the change to get Australia back to where it belongs, instead of someone who simply stands back and hopes for the best. While it has been hard going, I know it's getting better. As with most things, there have been some bumps in the road, but we are determined to create a team that can be great role models both in and out of the pool.

• Which do you prefer more, the administration or the entertainment?

The entertainment - and not just because I get paid for it! I love live broadcasts and I love being able to help showcase the amazing swimmers and athletes we have in this country.

• What advice do you have for young swimmers hoping to emulate a successful career in and out of the pool like yours?

Hard work is what will ultimately allow you to be successful; fame and fortune don't get handed to you on a platter. In the pool, an excellent training technique is essential as this will keep injuries away and allow you to race faster, so work hard at that. In and out of the pool it is important to have goals and take opportunities that will help make you a better swimmer and a better person overall. That is how you want people to see you, and that is how opportunities present themselves, hopefully!