Fast lane

Emma McKeon’s numbers in the pool are so staggering you need a calculator to audit her achievements. Fourteen Olympic medals (six Gold, three Silver, five Bronze) from three consecutive Summer Olympic Games (Rio in 2016, Tokyo in 2020, Paris in 2024), and a record-setting 20 Commonwealth Games medals (14 Gold, one Silver, five Bronze, making her the most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history) are figures that stun even seasoned sports statisticians. Then there are 20 medals from the Swimming World Championships and 42 – yes, 42 – medals from the Swimming World Cup. Eight world records. Nine Olympic records. Dozens of long- and short-course swimming records. There is even more. 

A sports CV like this requires that rare mix of ability, commitment and opportunity. But ask Emma which pivotal events drove her to the summit of competitive swimming and her answer might surprise you. 

“It’s always been the harder moments, the times I’ve failed,” she says, echoing Ferdinand Porsche’s famous quote about how failure creates the challenges necessary for success. It’s a remarkable reply from one of the greatest swimmers of all time, and its impact deepens when she reveals the greatest turning point in her athletic career.

“Missing the London Olympic team in 2012 was a pivotal moment for me. My brother made that team, but I missed out by 0.1 seconds. I quit swimming after that because I didn’t want to wait another four years to go to the Olympics.”

One tenth of a second, the same time it takes a Porsche PDK gearbox to change gears. After a near-lifetime of early-morning training sessions and endless kilometres of practice and competition in the pool, less than a single metre cost Emma her dream Olympic ticket. 

“It taught me what I needed to know. It eventually created a stubbornness in me that confirmed I was going to get there, no matter what. Had I have made that 2012 team, I wouldn’t have gone on to do what I’ve done.”

That tenth of a second might be the shortest closing-doors moment in sports history. It intensified her focus on reaching the difficult goals that would engrave her name in multiple record books, despite the inevitable headwinds she would face.

“You have to get up and work for it even on those days when you don’t feel like it. A big part of it is thinking back to those earlier dreams. If you want something badly enough, you will find a way to make it happen.”

A powerful mindset played a major role in Emma’s drive to the top of her sport, an insight former Porsche works driver Mark Webber has previously shared. 

“The biggest thing for me was my mental training and mental preparation,” she says. “You reach a point where the physical grind of training is almost the easy part. It’s the mental side of sport that shows up when you’re under real pressure. I made a strong commitment to my mental preparation in the three years leading into the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. It was a game changer for me.”

Reaching peak performance on the road to her history-making successes also meant searching for the “one-percenters” that convert great athletes into winning athletes. 

“I’m keen to share my story to encourage people to go after their goals.”

Emma McKeon, Australia’s most successful Olympian

“Peak performance is about focusing on the finer, smaller details. Everyone in the pool has a strong grip on the bigger elements, but the very top players drill into the finest details for that necessary winning edge.

“Then there is the need to manage pressure. I stayed grounded throughout my career thanks to how my parents raised me. When I was competing, I always knew that swimming is something I do, not who I am. I might have dedicated my mental and physical energy to swimming, but it doesn’t make up everything about me.”

Now retired from the pool, her mature approach prepared her nicely for the transition from peak-level sport to new adventures. As for what lies ahead for this history-making athlete, for once Emma is taking her time. 

“I haven’t dived into anything yet,” she says, glancing at the sun on Queensland’s Gold Coast. “I’ve driven towards my swimming goals my entire life so it’s been nice to have time to focus on friends and family, travel and just explore life. It’s definitely different to how I’ve been living.”

Her inner drive, however, remains unchanged, and she now plans to redirect it. 

“I’m keen to share my story to encourage people to go after their goals, because it’s important we all discover what we’re capable of. Ferdinand Porsche knew this and created one of the greatest sportscar legacies. I hope my legacy will inspire others to reach their own potential.”