Hayley Lewis OAM

A former Australian Olympic swimmer, Hayley Lewis burst onto the scene as a 15-year old schoolgirl and captured the hearts of Australians by winning five Gold medals at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games.

In 1991 she became one of Australia’s youngest ever World Champions by winning the 200m freestyle at the Perth World Championships.

In 1992, at her first Olympics in Barcelona, Hayley brought home a Silver and a Bronze followed by more medals at the 1993 Pan Pacific, 1994 Commonwealth Games, 1995 Rome World Championships and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Taking a break from swimming after Atlanta, Hayley married her high-school sweetheart Greg Taylor in 1997 and the following year gave birth to their first son, Jacob.

In 1999, she returned to swimming with the goal of making the 2000 Olympic team which she did, as well as the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka which saw her become the first ever swimmer to compete for her country in both open water and pool swimming at the same meet. Hayley went on to win a bronze medal at this meet and officially retire at the age of 27.

After a long career racing in the pool and in open water Hayley successfully transitioned into the world of business and media.

In 2002, Hayley opened the first Learn To Swim school based in a shopping centre in Australia which was located at Westfield Carindale. In 2010, Westfield redeveloped the centre and unfortunately Hayley’s beloved swim school was demolished.

Changing pace, she went on to host five seasons of The Biggest Loser, write a business book – Dream, Believe, Create and purchase a commercial property in Balmoral, Brisbane, which became home to her gift and homewares store ‘Coming Up Roses’.

An accomplished speaker, Hayley’s story is inspiring and her insights into business are invaluable. She appeals to people in business and those considering venturing into a new business of their own.

Hayley Lewis talks about:

• Researching your idea and competition
• Creating a winning business plan
• Finding finance
• Getting the location right
• Marketing and building your customer base
• Hiring staff
• Staying motivated and maintaining a healthy work/life balance