Different journeys.
One extraordinary legacy.
Meet the athletes who took their dreams
to the Olympic stage. Discover their stories,
their achievements and their Mermaids connection.
Showing 17 athletes
Bianca Hammett
Bianca Hammett is an Australian artistic (formerly synchronised) swimmer from Warrnambool who represented Australia at London 2012 and Rio 2016. She began the sport at age eight after seeing a newspaper advertisement, reached the national team in 2007, and captained Australia's Rio team.
Read her storyCarolyn Rayna Buckle
Carolyn Rayna Buckle is a Singapore-born Australian artistic swimmer and two-time Olympian. After representing Singapore internationally, she competed for Australia in the team at Tokyo 2020 and in both team and duet at Paris 2024.
Read her storyCristina Sheehan
Cristina Sheehan represented Australia at Rio 2016 after training with Gold Coast Mermaids under Marina Kholod. Born in Brisbane, she previously represented Hong Kong and was the youngest member of Australia’s Rio artistic swimming team.
Read her storyEloise Amberger
Eloise Amberger is an Australian artistic (formerly synchronised) swimmer who competed at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games. A Brisbane-born Queenslander, she partnered Sarah Bombell to a Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games bronze and later contributed as an athlete and coach to Australian club swimming.
Read her storyFrancesca Owen
Francesca “Frankie” Owen is recognised by the Australian Olympic Committee as a London 2012 Olympian and was a Gold Coast Mermaids athlete. Olympedia records her as a non-starter (DNS), so Olympic selection is distinguished here from competing in the event.
Read her storyGeorgia Courage-Gardiner
Georgia Courage-Gardiner is an Australian artistic swimmer from the Gold Coast Mermaids who competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where Australia's team placed ninth. She had previously travelled to the Tokyo Games as an alternate and reserve, but did not compete there.
Read her storyJenny-Lyn Anderson
Jenny-Lyn Anderson progressed from discovering artistic swimming in 2006 to representing Australia at London 2012. The Johannesburg-born swimmer won national junior duet titles with Olia Burtaev and trained with Gold Coast Mermaids under Marina Kholod.
Read her storyKiera Gazzard
Australian artistic swimmer Kiera Gazzard progressed from Sydney Emerald's under-12 program to the Gold Coast Mermaids and two Olympic teams. Her pathway includes a 2017 senior World Championships breakthrough, becoming Australia's first soloist at the 2018 Junior World Championships, recovering from a 2019 concussion, and major team and duet performances in the 2020 and 2024 Olympic cycles.
Read her storyKirsten Kinash
Kirsten Kinash is a Canadian-born Australian artistic swimmer who made her Olympic debut for Australia at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games, placing ninth in the women's team event. A Gold Coast Mermaids athlete, she progressed from starting the sport at age seven to the 2019 World Championships and the Olympic team.
Read her storyMilena Waldmann
Milena Waldmann is an Australian artistic swimmer from the Gold Coast who represented Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. She was listed by the Australian Olympic Committee with Gold Coast Mermaid as both her junior and senior club and helped Australia's team finish ninth in Paris.
Read her storyNikita Pablo
Nikita Pablo is an Australian artistic swimmer who represented Australia at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the women's duet and team events. Born on the Gold Coast and raised in Aruba, she began artistic swimming at nine and joined Gold Coast Mermaids after moving back to Queensland in 2014.
Read her storyOlia Burtaev
Olia Burtaev is an Australian artistic swimmer who represented Australia at the London 2012 Olympic Games. A Gold Coast Mermaids-affiliated athlete by 2012, she began synchro at 10 after ballet and rhythmic gymnastics, later combining elite sport with sports-science study and a fitness career.
Read her storyRachel Presser
Rachel Presser is an Australian artistic swimmer from far northern New South Wales who made her Olympic debut for Australia at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games. A Gold Coast Mermaids swimmer since 2009, she developed from a gymnast, dancer and swimmer into a national-team flyer known for aerial acrobatics.
Read her storySamantha Reid
Samantha Reid is an Australian synchronised (now artistic) swimmer and two-time Olympian who competed in the women's team event at Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Her teams placed seventh and eighth respectively; she also reached major international finals and won gold at the 2006 Oceania Championships.
Read her storySarah Bombell
Sarah Bombell is a two-time Australian Olympian and Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games duet bronze medallist. Her London 2012 AOC profile lists Gold Coast Mermaids as her club and the Gold Coast as her primary training base.
Read her storyTamika Domrow
Tamika Domrow represented Australia in the team event at Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Her archived London AOC profile confirms Gold Coast Mermaids as her club and the Gold Coast as her primary training base.
Read her storyZoe Poulis
Zoe Poulis is an Australian artistic swimmer from Southport who represented Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where the team finished ninth. A Gold Coast Mermaids junior and senior club athlete in the AOC profile, she progressed from age-group national success and youth international competition to national-team training in Perth.
Read her storyNo athletes found
Try another name or Olympic year.
Every story deserves to be told accurately.
This is a researched archive of documented Mermaids-associated Olympians, not the complete club register. Historical club connections and source differences are explained in each profile. Francesca Owen is recognised by the AOC as an Olympian but recorded by Olympedia as a non-starter.
Explore the Australian Olympic Committee archive