Ellie Cole could’ve easily quit after the Tokyo Paralympics.
She won her 17th medal to become Australia’s most decorated female Paralympian, and she carried the flag at the closing ceremony.
It would’ve been the perfect finish for the 30-year-old as she prepared to tackle life beyond sport.
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But, in a reflection of Cole’s team-first approach, she felt she needed to add one more stop on the farewell tour – the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
“I got to spend a lot of time with my Paralympic friends in Tokyo and say goodbye to everyone there and take that all in,” she told ABC Sport.
“But I felt like I was missing out on saying goodbye to what I consider to be half of my other team (Olympians).
“So, I decided to push through to Commonwealth Games. It’s a lot harder than I realised it would be.
Cole will finally touch the wall for the last time in her only event in Birmingham – the women’s 100m freestyle S9.
But what comes next excites her the most.
The reality of being seen with a disability
Many athletes struggle for purpose or direction after retirement, but Cole has some of her next steps planned.
It includes advocating for people with a disability, as an ambassador for human resources company APM.
“I know a lot about disability in terms of the sporting arena, but in the real world, disability isn’t like that at all,” she said.
“I actually don’t know what it really means to have a disability in Australia, in a real sense, because mine has been glorified so much through my sport.
“I’ve really seen what sport has done for disability inclusion and it’s been incredible.
“I want everyone else to have the same opportunities that I’ve had in sport, but in any career that they decide to pursue.
As part of that, she says it’s essential to make communities more accessible.
“So really following that social model of inclusion where anyone can leave their home and access any part of the society and be an active member of the society and have that equal opportunity,” she said.
“I think it’s really important to have people with disabilities on boards and helping guide those companies and councils into what to do.
“We’re seeing that not just in disability, we’re seeing that in other areas too.”
Looking forward to watching the new stars rise
When Cole reflects on her swimming career, there will be the medals, the records, the friendships and experiences.
But for her, the most pleasing aspect will be looking forward, rather than looking back.
“I never imagined when I was younger, that para-sport would have the impact that it has,” she said.
“And I guess for me, as an athlete, I’ve just said yes to everything and kind of pushed like, ‘why? Why isn’t it the same as everybody else?’
“But I think it was most special for me when I shared the medal dais with Izzy Vincent in Tokyo (as part of the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team) because she’s a first-time para-athlete.
“And that’s what’s really heart-warming for me is that even though I’m retiring, I’m still gonna be very much involved in para-sport, but I can sit back and just let them take over and see where their career takes them.”
Cole will compete in the women’s S9 100m freestyle at the Commonwealth Games on Friday, July 29 AEST.
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