After more than 15 years representing Australia on the world stage, Olympic triathlete Aaron Royle has announced his retirement from professional racing, signing off with a top-10 finish at the Noosa Triathlon last weekend, the very event that helped launch his career over a decade ago.
Born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Royle’s journey into triathlon began with a love of both swimming and running, and a little encouragement from his coach.
“I first got started as a swimmer and a runner, and then my swim coach, who used to do triathlon himself, said I should give it a go,” Royle said.
“So I joined Maitland Tri Club, just outside where I grew up in Newcastle, and got hooked pretty quickly.
“I was a swimmer and a runner, and what kid doesn’t love riding their bike?”
Royle’s first Australian team came in 2008 at the Youth Olympics, followed by the Junior World Championships in 2009 on the Gold Coast.
From there, he rose through the international ranks, going on to represent Australia at two Olympic Games (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020) and the Commonwealth Games, as well as competing across more than a decade of World Triathlon Series events.
“Rio was probably the standout for me personally,” he said.
“At the time, it was maybe not the result I was hoping for or dreaming of, but it’s one that I look back on now very proud and fondly.
“I’ve been at two Olympics, the Commonwealth Games and now a Paralympics, but honestly, the moments that actually stand out the most are being part of a team and being witness to other people’s success.
“Being there in Wollongong and watching Matt Hauser win the world title was one of the best days I’ve had in the sport. I lived in Wollongong for 15 years, and it was a special place, a special race and the crowds came out in force.
“Another moment was at the Paris Paralympics last year when Lauren Parker won gold. I knew Lauren when she was an able-bodied athlete, we swam together as juniors, and to be there and witness that, with all of us arm in arm singing the anthem, it still gives me goosebumps.”
In recent years, Royle has taken on a dual role in the sport, racing professionally while also guiding para-triathlete Sam Harding, with whom he competed at the Paris Paralympics and at this year’s Wollongong World Championships, where the pair finished fourth.
Although stepping away from elite individual competition, Royle isn’t leaving triathlon behind.
“Sam actually dropped into my DMs and that’s officially how we got together,” he said.
“One of my best mates, David Mainwaring, had been guiding and encouraged me to get into it, and Sam reached out to see if I was interested.
“I’ll continue to guide Sam Harding leading into LA, and I’ll very much continue to stay in the sport through guiding and coaching.
“It was a tough decision, but one I knew was right. Noosa was the race that kickstarted my career when I won there in 2013, so it felt like the appropriate place and time to do my last race.”
Reflecting on a career that’s spanned nearly two decades, Royle said he feels fortunate for the experiences the sport has given him.
“I feel pretty fortunate that I was able to spend that long and have quite the journey,” he said.
“It’s been really special.”
