Emma McKeon
Australia’s most accomplished swimming legend and 2024's Young Australian of the Year.
A passionate swimmer from an early age, Emma McKeon has become Australia's most successful swimming athlete, inspiring a whole generation of fans around the world.
Emma made a name for herself after winning a range of gold, silver and bronze medals across the 2010 Junior Pan Pacific Championships, Youth Olympics and World Short Course Championships. Not long after, she represented Australia at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, where she impressed the nation with four gold and two bronze medals.
Emma also competed alongside her brother David at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she set a new world record in the 4x100m Freestyle relay event. On top of a gold medal, Emma also helped the relay team bring home two silver medals, as well as her first individual medal in the 200m freestyle, making her Australia’s most successful Olympian at the Rio Games.
In the years that followed, Emma continued to win medals across a range of global swimming events, including at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the 2019 World Championships, as well as the inaugural International Swimming League.
Returning to the Olympics in 2020, the deeply-respected swimmer competed in freestyle, butterfly, and relays to come home with four gold and three bronze medals. She also made the Olympic Record time in the 100m and 50m freestyle, as well as the medley relay. She was also part of the World Record 4×100 freestyle relay team.
With a total of eleven Olympic medals, Emma returned from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the most decorated Australian Olympian ever. She also became the most successful Australian athlete at a single Olympics, and the only female athlete in the world to win seven medals at one Olympics.
Throughout her career, Emma has worked closely with a range of brands, including as a brand ambassador for Speedo from a young age. She is also heavily involved as a global ambassador for brands like Nike, Coca Cola and IWC.
Currently living on the Gold Coast, Emma trains at Griffith University with long-term coach Michael Bohl. She recently completed a Bachelor of Public Health and is a dedicated UNICEF supporter, all on account of her passion for global health.
After earning the Young Australian of the Year nomination for her state of Queensland last November, Emma has now been named the overall 2024 Young Australian of the Year for the entire nation of Australia.