Ambassadors

Leisel Jones OAM

Australian Icon, Liesel Jones, OAM is regarded as one of the world’s greatest ever female swimmers, winning seven World Championships titles, nine Olympic medals, 10 Commonwealth Games gold medals, 14 individual world records and 23 National titles.

At just 15 and the youngest member of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Swimming Team, Leisel won two silver medals in the 100m breaststroke and 4x100m Medley Relay, making her one of the youngest Olympic medallists in Australia’s history. By the age of 18, Leisel was competing in her second Olympic Games in Athens, winning gold in world record time in the 4x100m medley relay, silver in the 200m breaststroke and a bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke. After facing many adversities and setbacks, she finally fulfilled her dream of winning individual Olympic gold in Beijing, 2008 in the 100m breaststroke. She also won gold in the 4x100m medley relay and silver in the 200m breaststroke. Before farewelling her swimming career (and swimsuit wedgies) forever, Leisel competed in her fourth Olympic Games in London in 2012, finishing on a high by winning a silver medal in the 4x100m medley relay and becoming the first Australian swimmer to compete at four Olympics.

Post retirement has seen Leisel’s career include releasing her memoir, Body Lengths;  Studying  psychology at university, becoming a Personal Trainer and Pilates Instructor, trekking the Kokoda Trail; hosting Network Ten’s coverage of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and as a swimming expert commentator for the 7 Network’s Tokyo Olympic Games and special commentary for the recent Tokyo Olympics; and taking on  new experiences participating in I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, The All New Monty, as guest quizmaster on Have You Been Paying Attention?, and as guest host on Studio 10's documentary Changing Views of Africa, for the World Society for Protection of Animals.

Currently co-hosting The Rush Hour Drive program  on Triple M Brisbane with Liam Flanagan an Ben "Dobbo' Dobbin with guests from all the sport that matters, while also channelling her Olympic drive into public speaking, drawing parallels between lessons in the pool and lessons in life to underscore the values of truth, integrity and authenticity in life and business.

SPORTING ACHIEVMENTS

• Honorary OAM
• Awarded Keys to the City of Redcliffe, QLD
• 9 Olympic medals: 3 Gold, 5 Silver, 1 Bronze (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012)
• 11 Commonwealth Games medals: 10 Gold, 1 Silver (2002, 2006, 2010)
• 7 world championship titles
• 12 individual world records
• 23 national titles (2000 - 2012)
• Leadership committee member: Australian Swim Team (2007)
• Flag bearer at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony (2006)
• World Swimmer of the Year (2005)
• Australian Female Athlete of the Year - Confederation of Australian Sport (2005 and 2006)
• Young Queenslander of the Year (2006)
• First female to win People’s Choice Award (2006)
• Australian Swimmer of the Year (2006)
• All Star Team Member (2000 - 2012)

Nth Qld Ambassador, Matt Bowen

A proud Indigenous man of the Guugu Yimithirr people in Far North Queensland, Matthew Bowen in known as a rugby league legend across Queensland.

Matty, has spent his whole professional career with the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League (NRL), playing 270 matches and holding the club's record for the player with the most NRL appearances.

He appeared in the Cowboys NRL Grand Final (2005) and has played in 10 State of Origin matches. A dynamic fullback, he was twice the NRL's top try-scorer for a season, in 2005 and 2007. He was named the NRL's best player in his position in the 2007 season.

Since retirement, Bowen now travels to some of North Queensland’s most remote Indigenous communities each week to deliver messages of positivity and help close the gap in both health and education.

He spends about 30 hours behind the wheel most weeks driving to these remote locations, but the moment he arrives and sees the smiles on the faces of all the kids, it makes every last second worth it.