The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has today committed $50 million as an investment in Australia’s Summer and Winter Olympians.
This commitment includes the launching of the $20 million Olympian Futures Fund which empowers Olympians to shape their lives beyond sport and incentivises them to compete in multiple Olympics.
With a home Games in sight, the Fund aims to make Olympic careers more financially viable by providing a Retirement Grant of $32,000 per Games to assist Olympians, many who have delayed employment, education and long-term financial viability as they pursue their Olympic dream.
The Fund will also include a Return to Olympic Sport Grant (post-birth) of $10,000 for eligible female Olympians who give birth and are committed to returning to Olympic competition.
Additionally, Australian athletes will now be eligible to receive a Team Selection Payment of $5,000 from the AOC for attending the Games from Milano Cortina 2026 onwards. The AOC will distribute approximately $7.6m in Team Selection Payments between 2026-2032.
AOC President Ian Chesterman said: “This is the AOC’s most significant funding announcement since the Australian Olympic Foundation (AOF) was established leading into Sydney 2000.
“Olympians don’t do it for the money, but there’s a financial sacrifice involved. Many athletes get to the end of their careers and have very little financially and this contribution will make a difference to their retirement. They could use this money to go towards their home, their education, their superannuation or to support their families.
“Women make up over 50% of our Olympic Teams. They are pivotal to who we are and we want to recognise that they are increasingly trying to balance starting a family and staying in elite sport.
“These grants reflect our ambition to contribute meaningfully to the Olympic Movement’s shared priorities, empowering athletes, strengthening gender equity, and ensuring that major Games – including Brisbane 2032 – leave lasting legacies.
“More than just groundbreaking financial support, these grants reinforce the AOC and our member sports’ commitment to athlete welfare and a lifelong connection to our athletes: Once an Olympian, always an Olympian,” Chesterman said.
Speaking about the significance of the Futures Fund, Paris and LA28 Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission Anna Meares OAM said: “70% of our Summer Olympians only go to one Games, so it’s clear – it is not easy to be an Olympian and it is even harder to have longevity as an Olympian. These grants will encourage athletes to work towards multiple Games and contribute to the overall success of the Team.
“This is putting value on the experience of our Olympians. The value has always been there but now it is being financially recognised.
“It took me until my third Games cycle to build a profile and confidence to be backed financially. And now the AOC is backing every Olympian from the get-go. That’s a really empowering shift for an athlete and it gives them a greater opportunity to go to more than one Games, to grow as an Australian Olympian and contribute to their career,” Meares said.
AusTriathlon CEO, Tim Harradine said: “AusTriathlon warmly welcome the AOC’s announcement of the Olympian Futures Fund. This is a groundbreaking initiative that recognises the dedication, sacrifice, and longevity of Australia’s Olympians.
“By providing meaningful financial support for athletes during and beyond their Olympic careers, including for those returning to sport post-birth, the Fund empowers athletes to continue striving at the highest level while planning for their futures. It’s a significant step forward in ensuring our athletes are supported, valued, and able to focus on achieving their Olympic dreams.”
KEY FACTS – Australian Olympian Retirement Grant:
The Retirement Grant recognises that athletes dedicate many years to Olympic preparation, often at considerable financial cost. This grant – for Milano Cortina 2026, Los Angeles 2028, French Alps 2030 and Brisbane 2032 Olympians – acknowledges these sacrifices and provides them with reassurance that their contribution is valued beyond the competition arena.
- Eligible Olympians from the 2026–2032 cycle will receive a $32,000 Retirement Grant paid in installments over four years, commencing 16 years after their eligible Olympic appearance. This long-term design ensures the Fund is sustainable into the future.
- The Retirement Grant multiplies, encouraging Olympians to extend their careers. Athletes who attend two Olympic Games in the eligible period and are entitled to receive $64,000.
- 1,300 Australian Olympians attending Milano Cortina 2026, Los Angeles 2028, French Alps 2030 and Brisbane 2032 are projected to benefit from the Retirement Grants.
- The assessment criteria will include a means-testing threshold (amount TBC).
- The first iteration of the grant will conclude in 2032.
- Total projected cost to AOC: $42million
KEY FACTS – Return to Olympic Sport Grant (post-birth):
This Return to Olympic Sport Grant addresses the physiological impact of pregnancy and childbirth on training, performance and earning capacity of a female athlete. It is designed to ensure that pregnancy and childbirth does not disadvantage female Olympians’ capacity to return to training, competition and earning pathways.
This globally leading model of structural support for women in sport matches the strength of Australia’s female Olympians. The Paris 2024 Team had the highest percentage of women in Australian Olympic history (55.9%) and 13 of Australia’s 18 gold medals were won by women.
- The Return to Olympic Sport Grant is available to eligible Australian Olympians who give birth after 11 December 2025 and are committed to returning to high performance sport.
- The grant will begin at $10,000, increasing by a set 2.50% from 2027 through to 2032 to reflect increase in CPI.
- There is no requirement to be selected for a future Games, however a commitment to return to high performance sport is required.
- Athletes can receive the grant multiple times for multiple births.
- Total projected cost to the AOC: $1.1million
Genevieve Gregson, Jess Stenson and Sinead Diver (Athletics); Lauren Jackson, Cayla George and Sami Whitcomb (Basketball), Keesja Gofers (Water Polo), Michelle Bromley (Table Tennis) and Alyce Wood (Canoe Sprint) show that motherhood can supercharge Australia’s Olympic Mums. This grant was developed in consultation with athletes to make the decision to return to sport easier.
AOC Athletes’ Commission Deputy Chair Alyce Wood said: “For so many women, becoming a parent doesn’t have to mean the end of their Olympic career, and this
grant makes that path clearer, fairer and so much more doable. For mum athletes, $10,000 goes a long way. It can cover childcare, the extra travel costs that come with bringing your baby and a support person to competitions and training camps and all the little things people don’t see. It helps make coming back to high performance sport genuinely achievable.
“As someone who has come back to high performance sport after becoming a mum, I know just how tough that juggle can be. This grant is a real game changer. It actually acknowledges what athletes are dealing with and gives them the support they need to build long, sustainable careers, in sport and in whatever comes next,” Wood said.
Background – how the Olympian Futures Fund will work:
The Olympian Futures Fund is powered by the legacy of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, the Australian Olympic Foundation (AOF). The AOF was established in 1996 to ensure the long-term financial independence of the AOC. The AOF received a capital injection of $88m from Sydney 2000, and in the 25 years since, total distributions to the AOC will reach $195m by 31 December 2025.
Since its founding, the AOF has grown its net assets to $200m. Its objectives are to protect and grow the capital base while providing distributions to the AOC for its Olympic and other Teams, programmes, and expenses.
In 2025, the AOF generated significant capital gains from its investment portfolio. Ordinarily, these gains would be reinvested to further grow the AOF’s capital base, however, in this instance the AOC chose to donate this income to start the Olympian Futures Fund.
The Olympian Futures Fund will be funded through AOC seed investment- the $20m gift from the AOF – and philanthropic giving. The Olympian Futures Fund is to be spent on Australian Olympian Retirement Grants and Return to Olympic Sport Grants (post-birth).
The Olympian Futures Fund will be managed by the newly formed Australian Olympic Athletes and Coaches Foundation with an inaugural Board chaired by Sam McKay.
