Ellie Cole
2016 Australian Paralympic team portrait
Personal information
Full nameEllie Victoria Cole
NationalityAustralian
Born (1991-12-12) 12 December 1991
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBackstroke, butterfly, freestyle
ClassificationsS9, SM9, SB8
ClubKnox Pymble[1]
CoachNick Dobson[2]
Medal record
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Paralympic Games 6 5 6
World Championships (LC) 3 3 4
Commonwealth Games 0 1 3
Total 9 9 13
Women's Paralympic swimming
Representing  Australia
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 100 m freestyle S9
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 100 m backstroke S9
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 4×100 m medley
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m backstroke S9
Silver medal – second place 2008 Beijing 100 m butterfly S9
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 50 m freestyle S9
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 400 m freestyle S9
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m medley
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo 4×100 m freestyle 34 pts
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Beijing 400 m freestyle S9
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Beijing 100 m backstroke S9
Bronze medal – third place 2012 London 50 m freestyle S9
Bronze medal – third place 2012 London 400 m freestyle S9
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m freestyle S9
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo4×100 m medley 34pts
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place2015 Glasgow100 m freestyle S9
Gold medal – first place2015 Glasgow100 m backstroke S9
Gold medal – first place2015 Glasgow4×100 m freestyle 34 points
Silver medal – second place 2006 Durban 100 m backstroke S9
Silver medal – second place2015 Glasgow4×100 m medley 34 points
Silver medal – second place 2019 London 100m Backstroke S9
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Eindhoven 200 m medley SM9
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Eindhoven 400 m freestyle S9
Bronze medal – third place2015 Glasgow50 m freestyle S9
Bronze medal – third place 2019 London 400m Freestyle S9
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 2018 Gold Coast 100 m backstroke S9
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Delhi 100 m freestyle S9
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Delhi 100 m butterfly S9
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Gold Coast 100 m freestyle S9

Ellie Victoria Cole, OAM (born 12 December 1991) is an Australian retired Paralympic swimmer and wheelchair basketball player. After having her leg amputated due to cancer, she trained in swimming as part of her rehabilitation program and progressed more rapidly than instructors had predicted. She began competitive swimming in 2003 and first competed internationally at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships, where she won a silver medal. Since then, she has won medals in the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, the Commonwealth Games, the Paralympic Games, the IPC Swimming World Championships, and various national championships. Following the 2012 London Paralympics, where she won four gold and two bronze medals, Cole underwent two shoulder reconstructions and made a successful return to swimming at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships, winning five medals, including three golds. She subsequently represented Australia at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics, the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. In claiming her seventeenth Paralympic medal in Tokyo, Cole became Australia's most decorated female Paralympian with six gold, five silver and six bronze medals from four Paralympic Games.

Personal life

Ellie Victoria Cole was born in Lilydale, Victoria, on 12 December 1991.[3] Her mother and grandfather were both swimmers,[4] and her father was athletic.[5][6] At two years of age, she was diagnosed with a rare tumour, a neurosarcoma that was wrapped around the nerves of her right leg.[3] After unsuccessful attempts to treat her cancer with chemotherapy, her right leg was amputated above the knee on 14 February 1994.[7] Eight weeks after the surgery, as part of her rehabilitation, Cole's mother Jenny enrolled her in swimming lessons. Cole's instructors expected her to take up to a year to learn how to swim in a straight line, but it took her two weeks.[8][9]

Cole attended Mount Eliza North Primary school and Frankston High School, both in the outer Melbourne suburb of Frankston.[10][11][12] As of 2021 she lives in Sydney and trains at the Knox Pymble Swim Club. She has completed a Bachelor in Health and Exercise Science at the Australian Catholic University.

Cole was featured in the 2020 documentary film Rising Phoenix on Netflix , which focused on the Paralympic Games. She also campaigns for #WeThe15, a global human rights movement for disabled people.[13]

Cole announced her retirement from swimming at the August 2022 Duel in the Pool.[14][15]

Swimming

Cole is classified in the S9 category in swimming due to her amputation, a classification that also includes swimmers who have joint restrictions in one leg and those with double below-knee amputations.[16] She began competitive swimming in 2003 and, at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships in Durban, she won a silver medal in the women's 100 m backstroke S9 event.[8] Also in 2006 Cole won the 100 m backstroke at the Telstra Australian Swimming Championships.[17] Cole qualified for the Australian Paralympic Swim Team in 2008 and, in the same year, attended the Beijing Paralympics where she won a silver medal in the Women's 100 m Butterfly S9 event and bronze medals in the 400 m Freestyle and 100 m Backstroke events.[18]

Cole after a training session at the Australian Institute of Sport Aquatic Centre

On 12 August 2009 Cole participated in the 100 m freestyle multi-disability event in the 2009 Australian Short Course Swimming Championships in Hobart, where she broke the world record with a time of 1:04:06.[19] This championship is the qualifying event for the IPC Swimming World Championships, run by FINA, the international organization for swimming.[20] The same year Cole participated in the 2009 IPC Swimming World Championships 25 m in Rio de Janeiro, where she won bronze medals in the 100 m backstroke, 400 m freestyle, 4 × 100 m freestyle relay and the 200 m individual medley.[21]

In 2010 at the IPC Swimming World Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands she won bronze medals in the women's 200 m individual medley and 400 m freestyle S9 events.[7] In that same year she won bronze medals in the 100 m Freestyle S9 and 100 m Butterfly S9 events at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.[22] At the 2011 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada she won a total of six gold medals, emerging victorious in the women's 50 m freestyle, 100 m freestyle, 400 m freestyle, 100 m butterfly, 100 m backstroke and 200 m individual medley S9 events.[23] Cole has also participated in national championships such as the Australian Age Multi Class Swimming Championships and the New South Wales State Open championships. The former competition is held in Canberra at the Australian Institute of Sport and is designed to prepare elite swimmers for international competition.[24] She then participated in the 2012 New South Wales State Open Championships in multi-class events.[25]

Cole was an Australian Institute of Sport Scholarship holder.[26] Her coach, Graeme Carroll, trained her in Canberra in preparation for the 2012 London Paralympics with an approach that combined swim training with aerobics and gym work.[26] She trained with Teigan Van Roosmalen, a blind and deaf S13 swimmer.[27] Cole also mentors young athletes.[10] When not in high school Cole was undertaking ten or more swimming sessions a week but, while at school, she reduced her load.[3][28] As of 2021, her coach is Nick Dobson.

At the 2012 London Paralympics, Cole participated in eight events and won six medals.[18] In her first event, the 100 m Butterfly S9, she finished fourth, while South Africa's Natalie du Toit finished first.[29] However, the following night, Cole won the 100 m Backstroke S9, winning her first gold medal of the games in Australian record time.[30] She told the press that it had "been a goal of mine ever since I was 12 years old to beat Natalie du Toit" who was "kind of like the Michael Phelps of swimming for me, she has been a great mentor and relaxes me in the marshalling room. She is my biggest hero."[31] Cole won a second gold medal in the 4 x 100 m freestyle relay 34 pts, this time in World Record time.[32] In the 400 m Freestyle S9, she was again beaten by du Toit, who finished first, while Cole took bronze.[33] Cole won a second bronze in the 50 m Freestyle S9, in which du Toit finished seventh,[34] and then gold in the 100 m Freestyle S9, in which du Toit finished third.[35] Cole capped off the games, surprising even herself with a fourth gold medal, in the 4 x 100 m freestyle relay 34 pts, again in Australian record time.[36][37]

Cole and Annabelle Williams embrace at the end of the S9 100m butterfly final at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games

After the London Paralympics, she underwent two shoulder reconstructions that threatened her swimming career.[38] At the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships, she won gold medals in the Women's 100 m Backstroke S9 breaking the world record in the heats and final, Women's 100 m Freestyle S9 and Women's 4 x 100 m Freestyle Relay 34 points, a silver medal in the Women's 4 × 100 m Medley Relay and a bronze medal in the Women's 50 m Freestyle S9 .[39][40][41]

Cole became the first S9 swimmer to break 29 seconds in the 50m freestyle in winning the gold medal at the 2016 Australian Swimming Championships in Adelaide in the 50m Freestyle Multiclass event. Her time of 28.75 broke Natalie du Toit's world record of 29.04.[42]

At the 2016 Rio Paralymmpics,[43] Cole won two gold medals in the Women's 100 m backstroke S9 and Women's 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay 34 points, three silver medals in the Women's 50 m and 400m Freestyle S9, Women's 4 x 100 Medley Relay 34 points and the bronze medal in the Women's 100m Freestyle S9.[44] Cole alongside Maddison Elliott, Lakeisha Patterson and Ashleigh McConnell[45] broke the world record for the Women's 4 × 100 m Freestyle Relay 34 Points with a time of 4.16.65.[46]

Cole faced a challenging time in the lead-up to Rio Paralympics. She reflects "I was still questioning if I was worthy to be there heading in – and I knew that I was, but it's amazing that even after the amount of psychological sports training that I've had, those thoughts still come in and take you down... Usually the athletes who win are the ones who can put those thoughts aside, and tell themselves that they've got a good crack at winning."[47] Meanwhile, Cole put those thoughts aside and went on to win 6 medals at Rio.

At the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships, London, she won the silver medal in the Women's 100m Backstroke S9 and bronze medal in the Women's 400m Freestyle S9.[48]

[49]

At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Cole, together with her team of Emily Beecroft, Isabella Vincent, and Ashleigh McConnell won a silver medal in the Women's 4x100m Freestyle 34 pts with a time of 4:26.82, two seconds behind the winners, Italy. She also won a bronze medal in the 34pts Women's 4x100m Medley 34 pts. Her team of Emily Beecroft, Keira Stephens and Isabella Vincent clocked 4:55.70.[50] In claiming the medley bronze, Cole's seventeenth Paralympic medal, she became Australia's most decorated female Paralympian, surpassing the previous record held by swimmer Priya Cooper.[51] Cole also competed in the 100 m freestyle S9, the 400 m freestyle S9, and the 100 m backstroke S9. She qualified for the finals in each but failed to win a medal.

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham, England, she finished 5th in the Women's 100 m freestyle S9.[52][53]

Wheelchair basketball

Cole (right) with fellow Victoria wheelchair basketball players Leanne Del Toso (left) and Mel Adams (no. 15)

Cole played wheelchair basketball for Victoria in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League in 2013 and 2014 as a 4.0 point player,[54][55] taking out the league's award for Best New Talent in 2013.[56]

"I loved working in a team because swimming isn't considered a team sport," Cole told an interviewer in 2013. "I definitely wanted a new challenge, when you've been competing for a decade the increments of improvements are quite small. However, in wheelchair basketball I knew that I could make big improvements. I've been chosen for the women's national league team, which is great, so I'm actually getting somewhere, which is a surprise. But my heart is definitely in swimming and I think it always will be."[57]

Recognition

During her time at Frankston High School, Cole received a Debbie Flintoff-King award for the most outstanding sporting achievement from the institution three years in a row; she was also nominated for the Junior Paralympian of the Year award.[8] The award was received for winning silver and two bronze medals in the Beijing Paralympic Games, silver in 100 m butterfly and bronze in 100 m backstroke and 400 m freestyle. In 2009, she received an Outstanding Sporting Achievement Award from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.[11] In 2011, she was nominated for The Age's Sport Performer Award in the Performer with a Disability category.[58] In August of the same year she was voted International Paralympic Committee Athlete of the Month after winning six gold medals in Edmonton.[23] She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2014 Australia Day Honours "for service to sport as a Gold Medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games."[6] In November 2015, she was awarded Cosmopolitan Magazine's 2015 Sportswoman of the Year.[59]

Cole was the flag bearer for Australia at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony.[60] In 2022, she was awarded Most Outstanding Woman in Sport at the Australian Women in Sport Awards.[61]

References

  1. ↑ "Ellie Cole USC Spartans Bio". University of the Sunshine Coast. 30 March 2018. Archived from the original (url) on 23 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  2. ↑ Fahy, Patrick (18 August 2015). "Swim coach vows to keep golden touch". Rouse Hill Courier. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Power, Emily (11 November 2009). "Ellie shrugs off VCE pressure". The Herald Sun. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  4. ↑ "Interview: Ellie Cole". ABC Radio Grandstand. 23 July 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  5. ↑ "Ellie Cole". Australia's Paralympians. Episode 44. 20 August 2012. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Australia Day honours list 2014: in full". Daily Telegraph. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Australian Swim Team Media Guide" (PDF). Telstra Dolphins. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 "Ellie Cole". Australian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  9. ↑ "Athlete Spotlight: AIS Paralympic Swimming – Ellie Cole". Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  10. 1 2 "Ellie Cole". City of Frankston. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  11. 1 2 "Sporting Achievement Celebrated at the MCG". Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. 23 March 2009. Archived from the original on 20 March 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  12. ↑ "Video available: 100 days to go to the London Paralympics". Australian Sports Commission. 21 May 2012. Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  13. ↑ "Swimming superstar Ellie Cole on diversity, accessibility and bringing people joy". the Guardian. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  14. ↑ "Swimmer Ellie Cole ready to farewell sport at the Commonwealth Games and take the lead in creating a more inclusive society". MSN.
  15. ↑ Helmers, Caden (18 August 2022). "Cole set for a 'fairytale ending' at Duel in the Pool". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  16. ↑ "Swimming – Rules & Regulations – Classification". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  17. ↑ "2010 Telstra Australian Swimming Championships". Swimming Australia. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  18. 1 2 "Ellie Cole". Paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  19. ↑ "World record hat-trick in Hobart". Swimming Australia. 15 October 2009. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  20. ↑ "IPC SWIMMING SUMMIT 2009" (PDF). Swimming Australia. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  21. ↑ "Ellie Cole". Swimming Australia. Archived from the original on 27 June 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  22. ↑ "2010 Commonwealth Games Results: SWIMMING". SuperSport. 16 October 2010. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  23. 1 2 "Ellie Cole – Athlete of the Month August 2011". International Paralympic Committee. August 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  24. ↑ "Victoria's Multi Class Swimmers Head to Canberra". Swimming Victoria. Archived from the original on 23 October 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  25. ↑ "Australia's elite set to compete at NSW State Open Championships". Richmond Swimming Club. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  26. 1 2 Dutton, Chris (26 November 2011). "Canberrans Chase Olympic Dreams". Canberra Times. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. pp. Sports 10–12.
  27. ↑ "Cole takes Aussies to six gold in Edmonton". Swimming Australia. 11 August 2011. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  28. ↑ "Triple gold for TigerShark". News Berwick. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  29. ↑ "Women's 100m Butterfly – S9". Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  30. ↑ "Women's 100m Backstroke – S9". Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  31. ↑ Wald, Tom (1 September 2012). "Ellie Cole triumphs over 'hero' Natalie du Toit". The Australian. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  32. ↑ "Women's 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay – 34pts". Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  33. ↑ "Women's 400m Freestyle – S9". Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  34. ↑ "Women's 50m Freestyle – S9". Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  35. ↑ "Women's 100m Freestyle – S9". Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  36. ↑ "Women's 4 x 100 metre medley relay – 34pts". Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  37. ↑ "Cole shocks herself with one last victory". Canberra Times. 9 September 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  38. ↑ Polkinghorne, David (14 July 2015). "Paralympic swimmer Ellie Cole sets two world records on way to world championship gold". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  39. ↑ "Ellie's world record double in golden start for Dolphins in Glasgow". Swimming Australia News. 14 July 2015. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  40. ↑ "World record for 13-year-old Tiffany Thomas-Kane as Dolphins light up the pool in Glasgow 15 July". Swimming Australia News. 15 July 2015. Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  41. ↑ "Six golds and one world record for Ukraine at Glasgow 2015". International Paralympic Committee News. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  42. ↑ "Cole breaks du Toit's 50m freestyle world record". International Paralympic Committee News. 8 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  43. ↑ "Swimming Australia Paralympic Squad Announcement". Swimming Australia News. 13 April 2016. Archived from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  44. ↑ "Ellie Cole". Rio Paralympics Official site. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  45. ↑ "Medalists - 4x100m Freestyle - 34 Points" (PDF). Rio Official Results 2016. Rio 2016 Paralympics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  46. ↑ "Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay - 34 Points". Rio Official Results 2016. Rio 2016 Paralympics. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  47. ↑ Thompson, Warren. "Rio 2016 Paralympics: Granville swimmer Ellie Cole wins two gold medals". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  48. ↑ "Ellie Cole". Swimming Australia. Archived from the original on 12 March 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  49. ↑ "Australian Paralympic Team for Tokyo 2021". The Roar. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  50. ↑ "Australian Paralympic Team for Tokyo 2021". The Roar. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  51. ↑ "Ellie Cole becomes Australia's most decorated female Paralympian with 17th medal". ABC News. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  52. ↑ "Cole, Patterson And Levy Amongst Stars Of The Pool Ready To Splash And Dash In Birmingham". Commonwealth Games Australia. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  53. ↑ "2022 Commonwealth Games Results". Commonwealth Games Australia. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  54. ↑ Mackenzie, Joel (2 May 2014). "Team Preview: Victoria – Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League". Fox Sports Pulse. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  55. ↑ "2014 WNWBL Team Rosters". Fox Sports Pulse. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  56. ↑ "Best New Talent". Fox Sports Pulse. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  57. ↑ Paxinos, Stathi (1 May 2013). "Whole new ball game for Cole". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  58. ↑ "2011 Nominees". Melbourne, Victoria: Sport Performer Awards. 2011. Archived from the original on 16 November 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  59. ↑ "Meet Cosmo's 2015 Sportswoman of the year, Ellie Cole!". Cosmopolitan. 18 November 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  60. ↑ "Para-Swimming Great To Carry Australian Flag At Tokyo 2020 Farewell". Paralympics Australia. 4 September 2021. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  61. ↑ "Madison de Rozario wins women in sport's top award, Lauren Jackson inducted into hall of fame". ABC Sport. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
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