Shelley Taylor-Smith

About Shelley

Shelley Taylor-Smith is a seven-time World number one Women's Marathon Swimmer and a figure of genuine sporting history: she is the only woman to hold a number one world ranking for both men and women in the history of any sport. That achievement led governing body FINA to create equal prize money and separate rankings for both genders — a global legacy for women in sport that Shelley regards as her greatest personal achievement. She won gold in the inaugural open water event at the 1991 World Aquatics Championships in Perth and bronze in Rome in 1994, took seven consecutive FINA Marathon World Cups, and won the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim five times, setting a world record for the 48-kilometre distance in 1995. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Her story extends well beyond athletic achievement. Shelley has triumphed over scoliosis, partial paralysis, and a benign breast tumour — each episode a demonstration of the mindset she brings to her speaking and coaching work. In 1998 she transitioned from competitive swimming to the corporate world, founding Champion Mindset Consulting and launching The Feminine Code, a programme empowering corporate women to apply their unique potential and talent to peak performance in business and life. Its central focus is creating a culture of women sponsoring each other's power and leadership, without sacrificing their distinctive strengths. She has served as a Board Member of Swan River Trust and Burswood Park, and on the committees of FINA Technical Open Water Swimming, Swimming Australia Limited, and Swimming WA. She is also an internationally best-selling author; her autobiography, Dangerous When Wet, was published in 1996.

Shelley speaks at sales conferences, corporate leadership events, women's forums, and motivational programmes for businesses, sports teams, and educational organisations. Her audiences range from CEOs and sales teams to entrepreneurs, coaches, and everyday people. Her clients have included Optus, Cadbury Schweppes, GE Commercial, and McInerney Ford.