Nikki Ayers

Last updated

Nikki Ayers
OAM
Ayers Nikki 01 CC.jpg
Ayers in 2019
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born (1991-03-03) 3 March 1991 (age 34)
Home town Canberra, ACT
Sport
CountryAustralia
Sport Para-rowing
Disability class PR3
ClubCapital Lakes Rowing Club
Coached byChristine McLaren
Medal record
Para-rowing
Representing Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Paralympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2024 Paris PR3 mixed double sculls
World Rowing Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Belgrade PR3 mixed double sculls

Nikki Louise Ayers OAM (born 3 March 1991) [1] is an Australian Paralympic rower. She was a member of the PR3 Mix 4+ at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. [2] Ayers and Jed Altschwager won a gold medal at the 2023 World Rowing Championships and the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Contents

Personal life

Ayers grew up in Narooma, New South Wales and moved to Canberra to study for a nursing degree at University of Canberra. [3] Ayers played rugby union and captained the ACT Women's Brumbies 7's team. In 2016, during a rugby union game, a tackle led to her dislocating her knee. The injury severed a major artery and nerve damage caused her to lose feeling in her foot. [1] She underwent 16 operations to save her leg and repair her knee. [4] In 2021, she worked as a registered nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at The Canberra Hospital and has a postgraduate Diploma in Critical Care.

Ayers is openly lesbian. She was one of the initial ambassadors of a program called "Thrive With Pride" started by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Ayers was an ambassador for Pride House Paris 2024. [5]

Rowing career

Ayers competed twice in the surf boat George Bass Marathon along the South Coast. [3] Ayers' road to para rowing started through a 2017 Train4Tokyo session at the Australian Institute of Sport. [3] She commenced serious rowing training in January 2018 and was selected in the PR3 mixed coxed four at the 2018 World Rowing Championships where the crew finished fifth. [4]

She has won PR3 Women's Single Scull at Australian Rowing Championships in 2019 and 2021. [1]

At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, Ayers was a member of the PR3 Mix 4+ along with Tom Birtwhistle, James Talbot, Alexandra Viney. Their coxswain was Renae Domaschenz. They qualified for the final after winning their Repechage with time of 7:06.98 but came fourth in the final and failed to win a medal. [6]

Ayers moved to Adelaide after completing her midwifery studies in Canberra in to train with Jed Altschwager in the PR3 Mixed Double. [7]

Ayers with Jed Altschwager won the gold medal in the PR3 Mixed Double at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade and the 2024 Summer Paralympics. [8] They became the first Australian Paralympic rowers to win a gold medal. [9]

Recognition

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Nikki Ayers". Paralympics Australia. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  2. ↑ "Para-Rowers Overcome Adversity To Secure Tokyo Berth". Paralympics Australia. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Gavel, Tom (6 December 2019). "Career-ending injury no match for Nikki Ayers' Olympic ambitions". RIOTACT!. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 Dutton, Chris (16 August 2018). "How Nikki Ayers found rowing after 16 operations to save her leg". Canberra Times. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  5. ↑ Holmes, Jon. "Nikki Ayers thriving as out gay athlete for 2024 Paris Paralympics". OutSports. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  6. ↑ "Australian Paralympic Team for Tokyo 2021". The Roar. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  7. ↑ Cross, Neil (12 July 2023). "Rowing duo on course for Paralympic gold having overcome amputation and operations". ABC News. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "Altschwager, Ayers on top of the world after Gold Medal row". Rowing Australia. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  9. ↑ "Undeniable And Unbeatable! Australians Create Rowing History | Paralympics Australia". paralympic.org.au. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  10. ↑ Ekert, Emily (18 November 2023). "Recognising the Stars of 2023 at the Hancock Prospecting Rower of the Year Awards". Rowing Australia. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  11. ↑ "World Rowing - The 2023 World Rowing Awards' winners are revealed". World Rowing. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  12. ↑ Institute, South Australian Sports (25 November 2024). "SASI Awards 2024". South Australian Sports Institute. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  13. ↑ "Paris Rowsellas recognised at 2024 Hancock Prospecting Rower of the Year Awards". rowingaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  14. ↑ Zoe (30 November 2024). "Australia's Finest Celebrated At Paralympian Of The Year Awards | Paralympics Australia". paralympic.org.au. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  15. ↑ "Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division" (PDF). Governor-General of Australia. 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
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