Jan Swinhoe (© Athletics Australia)
In many ways, Jan Swinhoe is a trailblazer.
Athletics Australia’s first female President in its 124-year history should be celebrated for being just that, but her pioneering prowess long outdates its acknowledgement.
Raised in New South Wales while attending a state school, Swinhoe had not exactly shot out of the blocks en route to becoming a high-achieving director. A flat-footed standing start had to suffice, but the savvy Swinhoe was quick to muster momentum.
“I didn’t have a privileged background, which meant I didn’t have a network in business or sport when I started off, but one thing I love about Australia is that it is far more egalitarian than many other countries,” she said.
Defying gender norms from the outset, Swinhoe pursued interests in mathematics and science at school despite being the only girl in the classes – a trend that continued through university where women represented less than 10% of her mathematics cohort.
Swinhoe combined sheer talent with a dogged determination to carve through male-dominated industries well ahead of her time, landing on several boards including that of Athletics Australia – where she served as Senior Vice President for six years before being elected President in 2021.
“It is so very exciting,” she said. “I don’t think of it as being the first female President, I just see it as being the appropriate person at this time, and that’s how we should think about diversity by gender, race, age or any other quality.
“But, having worked in actuarial and banking circles in my twenties and being a minority, it wasn’t such a scary thing for me to become President as a woman. I do appreciate that it is less common, and I do appreciate that not every woman has the opportunity to see that representation.
“I’m very grateful for a whole lot of people in my life who have been able to break down barriers and give me a number of chances. It’s something I strongly believe in. I have three children, two of them daughters, and I know they feel anything is possible.”
Alluding to athletics as a microcosm of a society where pay is equal and men and women work in unison to achieve common goals, Swinhoe is simply “proud” of the progress that has been made both on and off the track, globally and in Australia.
“It means a lot to the sport,” she says. “For athletes, coaches, and aspiring board members – it is actually possible for women to have the same opportunity as men. There are a number of female Presidents in our member associations, and most of that group have a good mixture of male and female staff.”
Identifying the high performance space as one in which improvements to gender equality can be made, Swinhoe encourages her female counterparts to bring fresh perspectives to the coaching scene – challenging them to bridge the gap through creating and grasping new opportunities.
“Where I see opportunity for more growth for women is in coaching and high performance. There are fewer women in high performance than men still, as is the case for most sports. To be conscious and aware of that is important, and now when we report in our board meetings, we don’t just count the number of men and women, but look at the level they’re at and actively try to promote that as well.
“The unusual and long hours are not always family friendly, but I like the idea of working in groups or hubs where people can help each other out,” she adds. “I think equity across all groups really – age, race or gender – is important. It gives you diverse thinking, and the more perspectives you have talking around the table in any context, the better outcomes you have.”
Not content with her trailblazing run to date, Swinhoe is forging plans to mentor elite athletes in transitioning to professional pathways, merging her invaluable business insights with the transferable skills of athletes.
“I’m very interested in the mentoring side and forging pathways for competitive athletes post their careers,” she says. “I hope we don’t wait another 124 years for another female president, but I’m sure we won’t.”
Athletics Australia for World Athletics