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Nikki Ayers

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Nikki Ayers
Nikki Ayers in 2019
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born (1991-03-03) 3 March 1991 (age 33)
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportRowing
ClubCapital Lakes Rowing Club
Medal record
Adaptive rowing
Representing  Australia
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris PR3 mixed double sculls
World Rowing Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Belgrade PR3 mixed double sculls

Nikki Ayers is an Australian Paralympic rower. She was a member of the PR3 Mix 4+ at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.[1] Ayers and Jed Altschwager won a gold medal at the 2023 World Rowing Championships and the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Personal life

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Ayers was born 3 March 1991.[2] She grew up in Narooma, New South Wales and moved to Canberra to study for a nursing degree at University of Canberra.[3] Ayers played rugby union and captained the ACT Women's Brumbies 7's team. In 2016, during a rugby union game, a tackle led to her dislocating her knee. The injury severed a major artery and nerve damage caused her to lose feeling in her foot.[2] She underwent 16 operations to save her leg and repair her knee.[4] In 2021, she worked as a registered nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at The Canberra Hospital and has a postgraduate Diploma in Critical Care.

Ayers is openly lesbian. She was one of the initial ambassadors of a program called "Thrive With Pride" started by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Ayers was an ambassador for Pride House Paris 2024.[5]

Rowing career

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Ayers competed twice in the surf boat George Bass Marathon along the South Coast.[3] Ayers' road to para rowing started through a 2017 Train4Tokyo session at the Australian Institute of Sport.[3] She commenced serious rowing training in January 2018 and was selected in the PR3 mixed coxed four at the 2018 World Rowing Championships where the crew finished fifth.[4]

She has won PR3 Women's Single Scull at Australian Rowing Championships in 2019 and 2021.[2]

At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, Ayers was a member of the PR3 Mix 4+ along with Tom Birtwhistle, James Talbot, Alexandra Viney. Their coxswain was Renae Domaschenz. They qualified for the final after winning their Repechage with time of 7:06.98 but came fourth in the final and failed to win a medal.[6]

Ayers moved to Adelaide after completing her midwifery studies in Canberra in to train with Jed Altschwager in the PR3 Mixed Double.[7]

Ayers with Jed Altschwager won the gold medal in the PR3 Mixed Double at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade and the 2024 Summer Paralympics.[8] They became the first Australian Paralympic rowers to win a gold medal.[9]

Recognition

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References

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  1. ^ "Para-Rowers Overcome Adversity To Secure Tokyo Berth". Paralympics Australia. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Nikki Ayers". Paralympics Australia. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Gavel, Tom (6 December 2019). "Career-ending injury no match for Nikki Ayers' Olympic ambitions". RIOTACT!. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b Dutton, Chris (16 August 2018). "How Nikki Ayers found rowing after 16 operations to save her leg". Canberra Times. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  5. ^ Holmes, Jon. "Nikki Ayers thriving as out gay athlete for 2024 Paris Paralympics". OutSports. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Australian Paralympic Team for Tokyo 2021". The Roar. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  7. ^ Cross, Neil (12 July 2023). "Rowing duo on course for Paralympic gold having overcome amputation and operations". ABC News. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Altschwager, Ayers on top of the world after Gold Medal row". Rowing Australia. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Undeniable And Unbeatable! Australians Create Rowing History | Paralympics Australia". www.paralympic.org.au. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  10. ^ Ekert, Emily (18 November 2023). "Recognising the Stars of 2023 at the Hancock Prospecting Rower of the Year Awards". Rowing Australia. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  11. ^ "World Rowing - The 2023 World Rowing Awards' winners are revealed". World Rowing. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
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