A sporting career like no other
Ellie Cole is no stranger to a life far from ordinary.
At the age of three, her right leg was amputated after being faced with a life-threatening cancerous tumour. As part of her rehabilitation, Ellie was enrolled in swimming lessons. What instructors predicted would take a year, Ellie did in two weeks.
Ellie’s ability to beat the odds has been a constant thread in her life, from overcoming such adversity in her early life to today’s regular appearances on the panel for Nine’s Wide World of Sports.
With a lifetime of Ellie’s experiences and accomplishments under her belt, she also possesses an incredibly valuable perspective – one that people with disability can hold close to heart. Suffice to say, Ellie’s unique blend of humour and resilience demands to be listened to by audiences far and wide.
Making waves in and out of the Pool
Ellie’s accomplishments are countless.
When Ellie first made her way to the airport for the London 2012 Paralympic Games, she willed herself to win a gold medal.
She didn’t win one, but four gold medals, plus an additional two bronze medals to add to the kitty. Winning a gold medal in the women’s 4x100m medley is a particular highlight for Ellie.
After yet again competing in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, Ellie’s Paralympic career came to a close and she was honoured as Australia’s flagbearer for the Tokyo 2020 Closing Ceremony.
“It honestly was a fairytale ending to such a wonderful career that I will treasure for the rest of my life”, said Ellie.
Outside of the pool, Ellie’s accomplishments just kept on coming. In 2011, Ellie was nominated for The Age’s Sport Performer Award in the Performer with a Disability category, and was voted International Paralympic Committee Athlete of the Month after winning six gold medals in Edmonton, Canada.
She was also awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2014 Australia Day Honours “for service to sport as a Gold Medalist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.” This went even further in 2024, as Ellie was promoted to Member of the Order of Australia during Australia Day Honours, for her “significant service to sport as an advocate for diversity and inclusion”.
The breaking of barriers, starting with employment
Today, Ellie Cole is a proud ambassador of APM, a global health, employment, disability, and workplace services provider that now supports more than 2.1 million people across 11 countries yearly.
APM’s services are designed to help people with disability find employment, improve their health and wellbeing, and regularly participate in their community.
Ellie’s work with APM focuses on driving change for people with disability, intending to shine a light on what an inclusive society can do for the nation, both from a business and a community perspective.
“I am delighted to partner with APM and love the work I’m able to do with their team to drive greater g social inclusion in both the workplace and our communities,” said Ellie.
The Melbourne Disability & WorkAbility Expo brings together countless support options for people with disability, their families and the wider community. Hundreds of exhibitors will come together to demonstrate their services, including assistive technology, support work, plan management and more.