Nikki Ayers
 Nikki Ayers in 2019 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born | 3 March 1991 |
| Sport | |
| Country | Australia |
| Sport | Rowing |
Medal record | |
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.
Personal[edit]
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 works as a registered nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at The Canberra Hospital and has a postgraduate Diploma in Critical Care.
Rowing[edit]
Ayers competed twice in the gruelling 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 cox 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.[5]
Ayers moved to Adelaide after completing her midwifery studies in Canberra in to train with Jed Altschwager in the PR3 Mixed Double.[6]
Ayers with Jed Altschwager won the gold medal in the PR3 Mixed Double at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade.[7]
Ayers is a member of the Capital Lakes Rowing Club.
Recognition[edit]
- 023 - Rowing Australia Para Crew of the Year with Jed Altschwager.[8]
- 2023 - World Rowing Para Crew of the Year with Jed Altschwager[9]
References[edit]
- ^ "Para-Rowers Overcome Adversity To Secure Tokyo Berth". Paralympics Australia. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- ^ a b c "Nikki Ayers". Paralympics Australia. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ a b c Gavel, Tom (6 December 2019). "Career-ending injury no match for Nikki Ayers' Olympic ambitions". RIOTACT!. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Australian Paralympic Team for Tokyo 2021". The Roar. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ Cross, Neil (12 July 2023). "Rowing duo on course for Paralympic gold having overcome amputation and operations". ABC News. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
- ^ "Altschwager, Ayers on top of the world after Gold Medal row". Rowing Australia. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "World Rowing - The 2023 World Rowing Awards' winners are revealed". World Rowing. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
