‘Growth comes from outside your comfort zone’: why Olympian Emma McKeon refused to give up

Emma McKeon has always loved being in the water.

When she was very little, she wanted to become a dolphin trainer, a dream that quickly faded when she took her first swimming lesson at age five. By the time McKeon was 12, she had started swimming competitively, and this early love became something much more. It was an Olympic dream.

Fast forward to 2024 and McKeon is one of Australia’s most decorated athletes, with 14 Olympics medals under her belt, McKeon became a household name after debuting at the 2016 Rio Olympics and winning four medals. She surpassed this achievement in Tokyo when she made history as the first female swimmer and second woman athlete to win seven medals in a single Olympics.

But beneath the surface of her success, McKeon has also had to learn to swim against the tide. Speaking at The Australian National University (ANU), McKeon reflected on a time she almost gave up her passion.

“I quit when I was 15 and retired at 18 when I missed the 2012 Olympic team,” McKeon said.

“I knew I wanted to go, but I didn’t want to wait another four years and feel that intense pressure; it felt like too long.

“And so, I stopped for a while. It took me a while to realise that what I loved about swimming was working really hard towards a goal. I missed that, and that’s a big part of what brought me back.”

It’s this determination, both inside and outside the pool, that has enabled McKeon to create a legacy that extends far beyond Olympic gold.

One of these achievements was being named the 2024 Young Australian of the Year. Sitting next to the glossy, blue-stained trophy made at the ANU Glass Workshop, McKeon shone her own light on the very human challenges even an Olympic athlete can face.

“I have doubts all the time – that is inevitable. You’re always going to have those. A good thing that my psychologist and I work on is acknowledging that they’re always going be there,” she said.

“It’s like if you’ve got a piece of paper and all your doubts are written down, and you’re holding it right up to your face – that’s all you can see. But when you put them down, they’re still there, but you are able to look out and see everything that’s around you.”

Surprisingly, public talks like the event at ANU are harder for McKeon than racing for Olympic gold. Naturally shy and introverted, she said that even a few years ago, being so vulnerable about her highs and lows might not have been possible.

But as her career has shown, success doesn’t always have to be measured by athletic performance. It’s about taking the plunge – no matter how deep the pool.

“Good growth comes out when you’re outside of the comfort zone. If you stay in your comfort zone, you’re most likely to stay in the same position,” said McKeon.

“Stepping outside of that, having difficult conversations, and putting yourself in uncomfortable situations is where you grow.

“Eventually, you look back and realise you’re more comfortable doing it.”