Australia’s first para-rowing gold medallist, Nikki Ayers, 35, has announced her retirement from rowing. The two-time Paralympian made the decision after taking a break from the sport earlier this year.

It was a day of mixed emotions. “Rowing gave me a purpose, an identity as a para athlete, and a mob that accepted me for me. I will be forever grateful for the opportunities, the friendships, and achieving what once seemed impossible, a gold medal in Paris!” Ayers told her Instagram followers.

“But here’s the thing. I’ve given everything to this sport and now it’s time to give a bit of it back to myself.”

Ayers teamed up Jed Altschwager to win the PR3 mixed double sculls at Vaires-sur-Marne in Paris, winning their country’s first gold in para-rowing. Altschwager retired after the Games.

Ayers took time away from both rowing and her work in healthcare earlier this year before deciding she would not return. “Rowing at the elite level and shift work as a nurse and midwife takes over your life,” Ayers told ABC, an Australian news outlet.

“It just didn’t feel right going back to rowing. It just felt like I needed to put myself first.”

From rugby to the water

Ayers grew up in Dalmeny on the NSW far south coast and moved to Canberra to train as a nurse, later qualifying as a midwife. She found rowing after a knee injury cut short her rugby career.

The Wallaroo (rugby national team) prospect suffered a dislocated knee following an innocuous tackle while playing for her local club. It caused permanent damage to her peroneal nerve and popliteal artery, leaving her with foot drop. She then developed compartment syndrome from reduced blood supply to her lower right leg.

The result was 16 surgeries in nine months to remove dead muscle tissue and reconstruct ligaments in her knee. “I thought my whole sporting career was taken away from me and I lost that identity,” she told ABC.

“Rowing was that light at the end of the tunnel.”

She made her Australian Rowing Team debut in 2018; finishing fifth at the World Rowing Championships in the PR3 mixed coxed four. Three years later, Ayers went one better, placing fourth at the Tokyo Games.

The switch to the PR3 mixed double sculls with Altschwager brought a step change in results: the pair were dominant on the World Cup circuit in 2023, setting a World Best Time, before claiming gold in Paris.

“I want there to be systemic changes”

Ayers used her retirement to highlight the need for reform in how sporting systems treat athletes who face discrimination. She previously spoke of facing ableism, homophobia and sexism throughout her sporting career. She hoped future competitors would not encounter the same barriers.

“I want there to be systemic changes so athletes have a voice … so they can speak up and are believed.”

In a February 2026 interview with ABC Listen, recorded before the retirement announcement, Ayers spoke in more direct terms about the toll. “Made me feel like I had less value,” she said. “Made me feel like I wasn’t good enough and at times I felt objectified, that I wasn’t worthy of being anything more than someone who could win a gold medal.”

Her comments echo findings from a broader survey. An ABC Sport survey of 152 current and recently retired athletes across 47 sports, published in January 2026, found a majority had witnessed or experienced racism, sexual harassment or violence, and discrimination based on gender, sexuality or disability.

Dual-career demands

Ayers spent eight years as an elite rower while working shifts as a nurse and midwife. She has since relocated to Adelaide, where Altschwager is also based. The two still catch up, though their conversations have moved on from race plans and split times.

“It’s nice to catch up and talk about things that aren’t to do with rowing and how we can be better, faster and win that gold,” she said.

Brisbane on the horizon

With Australia set to host the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games, could a comeback be on the cards? Ayers has not ruled out competing again, albeit in a different sport. “Never say never,” she said. “A lot can happen in six years.”