Ellie started her sporting career in gymnastics identified by her school gymnastics program coach at the age of six. Ellie’s mum Kate searched for a strong program and she found herself at PLC Sydney. When Ellie was eight years old and after attending the PLC Sydney Open Day she fell in love with everything that PLC Sydney could offer her and in Year 5 joined the school.
We are very excited and proud to announce that Year 12 student, Ellie Cole, has been named in the Australian Olympic Diving Team that will head to Paris in July. Congratulations on this incredible achievement Ellie! We are immensely proud of your hard work and dedication, and the inspiring woman you have become.
In Year 5 prompted by her friend, Ellie gave diving a try and instantly fell in love with the thrill of throwing herself off a platform. Bit by bit she learnt to do it with grace and with NO SPLASH! Diving also gave Ellie a bit more time to study, however that was short-lived.
Ellie in action and with her coach, Chava Sobrino (opposite)
Ellie suffered from a debilitating stress fracture in her back in Year 9. This took grit and determination as Ellie was told twice, over the following two years that she could return to training only to be told a few weeks later that she needed more rest. During this time Ellie would diligently practise her rehabilitation on the side of the pool. She would attend competitions and warmly congratulate her fellow athletes. Instead of focusing on the tough times Ellie took the opportunity to focus on her studies and in Year 10 took first place in the Young Scientist Awards.
Ellie at the media announcement in Brisbane, staged by the AOC and Diving Australia. Image credit: Getty Images.
Congratulations Ellie for all your achievements and most importantly for the women you have become
In 2023 finally allowed back in the pool Ellie assisted PLC Sydney to win the IGSA Diving Championships which was last held by PLC Sydney in 2007. Ellie took time out of her busy schedule to again assist PLC Sydney to take out the cup in 2024.
Ellie represented Australia in the 2024 America’s Cup and the 2024 Canadian Cup. She finished 1st in the Individual Women’s Platform and the Women’s Platform Synchro at the America's Cup. She then went on to finish 1st in the Women’s Platform Synchro at the Canadian Cup. This was followed by finishing 2nd at the Australian National Open Women’s Platform Championships finishing closely behind four times Olympic representative and Tokyo medalist Melissa Wu.
Australia has competed at every Summer Games of the modern Olympiad since 1896. However, in all this time, there are only 4,315 Australian Olympians to date, for which Ellie now joins these ranks. It’s an incredibly rare club of such high performing Australians.
The Australian Paris Olympic team will comprise approximately 450 athletes, half of which will be first-timers this year. Ellie will join two very experienced athletes on the team, in Melissa Wu (heading to her 5th Games) and Annabelle Smith (heading to her fourth Games), so she is in great company. Such experience will be an advantageous source of support for Ellie in Paris.