Nicole Livingstone is a three-time Olympic Medallist who competed in three Olympic Games. In retirement Nicole has enjoyed a fledging media career, established Ovarian Cancer Australia (along with her sister) and in recent times a highly successful General Manager of the Women’s AFL competition.

From a young age, Nicole quickly became a dominant force in backstroke in Australia, winning the 50m, 100m and 200m Australian long course titles at just 15-years-old. From there, Nicole won the 100m backstroke a total of ten times during 1987-1996 – a record that remains today. Nicole won dual gold medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke at the Pan Pacific Championships Brisbane in 1987 – the first of her four golds and 14 medals in total at the Pan Pacs. Selected for the 1988 Seoul Olympics having just turned 17, Nicole finished 5th and 7th in the 100m and 200m backstroke respectively, lighting the fire within that saw her go own to win two golds and a silver at the Commonwealth Games in 1990, before setting a short course world record for the 200m backstroke at an ASC Grand Prix meet in Melbourne in 1992. Later that year, at the Barcelona Olympics, Nicole won individual bronze in the 200m backstroke. At the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, Nicole won an incredible four gold medals (100m and 200m backstroke, 4x100m medley, 4x200m freestyle) and one silver (200m backstroke) to bring her career Commonwealth Games medal tally to eight, including six golds. In her final year of professional competition, Nicole bagged two more Olympic medals at the 1996 Atlanta Games – silver in the 4x100m medley and silver in the 4x200m freestyle.

Retiring from competition, Nicole then directed her time and passion into the media, and soon to become one of the industry’s most successful ex-athlete presenters. She began her media career in 1996 with Channel Nine’s programs, Wide World of Sports and Sports Saturday as well as providing expert commentary on the Commonwealth Games. Throughout 2006 to 2008, Nicole continued her role with Channel Nine and in 2009 joined Network Ten Sport. She has since become a consistent panellist on Channel Ten’s, The Project. More recently, 2017 saw Nicole become the host of the ABC’s weekly show, The Sideliners

Whilst her professional careers in both sport and the media are to be marvelled at, her roles in the business and charity realm also boast excellence. Alongside sister Karen Livingstone, Nicole established Ovarian Cancer Australia, after their mother passed away from the disease.

Nicole has also made her mark in the business of sport. Since 2017, Nicole has been at the helm of Women’s Football as the AFL’s General Manager of Women’s Football, overseeing the incredible growth in participation which now boasts close to 600,000 women and girls playing Australia’s indigenous football game. With the jewel in the women’s sporting crown, the AFLW, now a thriving elite competition featuring all 18 AFL Clubs and 540 players. 

At home in the board room as well, Nicole has previously held board positions with Ovarian Cancer Australia, ASADA, the Victorian Institute of Sport, VicHealth, Sport Australia Hall of Fame, the Australian Olympic Committee and Swimming Australia.

She is also kept busy as a mother of twins, Ella and Joshua, born in 2002 and Robinson in 2007.