Samantha Riley

About Samantha

Samantha Riley is one of Australia's — and the world's — greatest female swimmers. A Queenslander of Aboriginal descent, she competed at the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Olympics, winning three medals — bronze in the 100m breaststroke at Barcelona, and at Atlanta a second 100m breaststroke bronze and silver in the 4x100m medley relay. In 1994 she won both breaststroke events at the World Championships in Rome, setting a world record of 1:07.69 in the 100m, and was named World Swimmer of the Year — recognition reserved for the very best in the pool.

Her peak years were extraordinary by any measure. Across 1994 and 1995 she took home three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in Canada and two golds at the Pan Pacific Games in Atlanta. At the World Short Course Championships in Rio de Janeiro she added two more golds along with two world records. Her professional attitude and enthusiasm sustained international success from 1991 onwards, earning her a place among the elite band dubbed Australia's 'Super Swimmers'.

Audiences hear from someone who knows precisely what it takes to win on the world stage — the preparation, the pressure and the will required when the margins are hundredths of a second. Her themes of the will to win in sport and life translate directly to teams chasing targets, organisations navigating competition, and individuals setting their own high bars. For sporting dinners, motivational keynotes and corporate conferences, Samantha Riley brings the authority of a genuine world champion and a message well matched to the room.