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Emily Jane Seebohm, OAM (born 5 June 1992) is an Australian retired swimmer and television personality. She has appeared at four Olympic Games between 2008 and 2021; and won three Olympic gold medals, five world championship gold medals and seven Commonwealth Games gold medals.

Key Information

In 2009, Seebohm was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.[1]

Seebohm appeared as a contestant in the 8th season of the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in January 2022. Later the same year, she competed on The Challenge: Australia, and in 2023 she competed on The Challenge: World Championship.[2] In 2026 she took part in the celebrity version of the Channel 4 show SAS: Who Dares Wins, finishing as joint winner alongside Gabby Allen and Dani Dyer.[3]

Early life and education

[edit]

Seebohm was born on 5 June 1992 in Adelaide, South Australia. At age two, Seebohm and her family moved to Brisbane, Queensland so her mother Karen could coach swimming.[4] Her father John Seebohm was also an accomplished footballer in the SANFL, who played over 300 games for the Glenelg Tigers. Growing up, Seebohm attended St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, St Margaret's Anglican Girls School and St John Fisher College, a Catholic school for girls.[citation needed]

Career

[edit]

At the age of 14, Seebohm won the 100 m backstroke at the 2007 Australian Championships, the selection meet for the 2007 World Aquatics Championships. At the World Championships in Melbourne, Seebohm won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 m medley relay.[5] She also placed fourth in the final of the 100 m backstroke and 14th in the 50 m backstroke.[6][7]

Seebohm also won gold in both the 100 m backstroke and 4 × 100 m medley relay at the 2007 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.

On 6 March 2008 at the Brisbane Catholic Schoolgirls Championships, Seebohm broke the 50 m backstroke Commonwealth and Australian records with a time of 28.10 seconds, missing Li Yang's then world record of 28.09 by one hundredth of a second.[8]

On 22 March 2008, Seebohm broke the world record in the 50 m backstroke in the semi-finals of the 2008 Australian Championships, with a time of 27.95s, taking five hundredths of a second off Hayley McGregory's world record of 28.00[8] set only 15 days earlier on 7 March 2008.[9] A day later, this record was beaten again, this time by Australian Sophie Edington in a time of 27.67 seconds in the final of the same event.[10] Seebohm decided not to swim in the final of this event as it is not an Olympic event and instead decided to focus on the semi-final of the 100 m backstroke. Her decision paid off when she became the first Australian woman to break the one-minute barrier in the event, her 59.78 making her the fifth-fastest of all time.[10] She then lowered the record to 59.58 s in the final, winning the Australian championship and gaining selection for the Olympic Games in Beijing.[11]

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Seebohm placed ninth overall in the 100 m backstroke, barely missing a spot in the final. Seebohm then swam in both the preliminaries and final of the 4 × 100 m medley relay, in which Australia won the gold medal.

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome, Seebohm won the bronze medal in the 100 m backstroke with a time of 58.88.[12][13] She also won silver in the 4 × 100 m medley relay,[14] and placed 7th in the 50 m backstroke and 15th in the 200 m IM.[15][16]

At the 2009 Australian Short Course Championships, Seebohm broke the world record in the 100 m IM in 58.54.[17]

At the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, on the first night she defeated Olympic champion Natalie Coughlin in the 100 m backstroke, taking gold in championship record time, as well as taking silver in the 50 m butterfly. On the second night, she took silver in the 100 m freestyle in her first attempt at the event at international level. On night 3 she took another silver in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. Final night saw her take the gold in the 200 m individual medley, topping world champion and record holder Ariana Kukors. Later on in the night she broke the 100 m backstroke championship record in the lead off leg of the 4 × 100 m medley relay, Australia finished with silver. Later on in the year she collected 8 medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games

Seebohm was tracked by the BBC as part of their series World Olympic Dreams, which followed her as she prepared for London 2012.

Seebohm wins 200m final in Kazan

At the 2012 London Olympics, Seebohm set a new Olympic record in a 100m backstroke qualifier and was heavily backed to win the gold in the final of the event but fell just short and gained a silver medal.

At the 2013 Australian Swimming Championships she won gold in the 50 m and 100 m backstroke and silver in 200 m individual medley and bronze in the 200 m backstroke events, qualifying for the 2013 World Aquatics Championships. At the World Championships, she teamed up with Bronte Campbell, Emma McKeon and Brittany Elmslie in the heats of the 4 × 100 m freestyle, finishing second in their heat and overall.[18] In the final sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell, Emma McKeon and Alicia Coutts won the silver medal, finishing 0.12 seconds behind the United States.[19]

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Seebohm represented Australia in both the 100 m and 200 m backstroke and won silver in the 4 × 100 m medley relay.[20][21]

In June 2021, Seebohm qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics after finishing second in the 100m backstroke event at the Australian Olympic trials in a time of 58.59.[22] The Tokyo Olympics were Seebohm's fourth consecutive Olympic Games, making her only one of three Australian swimmers to compete at four Olympic Games.[citation needed] At those Olympics she won a gold medal in the 4 x 100 metre medley relay, and a bronze medal in 200 metre backstroke.[23]

International Swimming League

[edit]

In the Autumn of 2019 she was member of the inaugural International Swimming League swimming for the Energy Standard International Swim Club, who won the team title in Las Vegas, Nevada, in December.[24]

Results in major championships

[edit]
Meet 100 free 50 back 100 back 200 back 50 fly 200 medley 4×100 free 4×100 medley
WC 2007 14th 4th 1st place, gold medalist(s)
OG 2008 9th 1st place, gold medalist(s)
WC 2009 7th 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 15th 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
PP 2010 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 9th 1st place, gold medalist(s) WD[a] 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
CG 2010 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
WC 2011 5th 4th
OG 2012 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
WC 2013 12th 2nd place, silver medalist(s) WD[b] 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
CG 2014 4th 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 7th 1st place, gold medalist(s)
PP 2014 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 7th 1st place, gold medalist(s)
WC 2015 4th 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 4th 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
OG 2016 7th 12th 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
WC 2017 4th 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 4th 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
CG 2018 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
PP 2018 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 6th 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
OG 2021 5th 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
a Seebohm withdrew after the heat
b Seebohm withdrew after the semi-final

Career best times

[edit]

Long course metres (50 m pool)

[edit]
As of 29 July 2017 [25]
Event Time Meet Location Date Notes
50 m freestyle 25.05 2015 BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series Perth, Australia 30 January 2015
100 m freestyle 53.92 2015 World Aquatics Championships Kazan, Russia 2 August 2015
200 m freestyle 1:59.95 2010 Australian Age Championships Sydney, Australia 5 April 2010
50 m backstroke 27.37 2017 World Aquatics Championships Budapest, Hungary 27 July 2017
100 m backstroke 58.23 2012 Summer Olympics London, England 28 July 2012
200 m backstroke 2:05.68 2017 World Aquatics Championships Budapest, Hungary 29 July 2017
50 m butterfly 26.05 2015 NSW State Open Championships Sydney, Australia 27 February 2015
100 m butterfly 58.52 2010 Australian Age Group Championships Sydney, Australia 5 April 2010
200 m individual medley 2:09.93 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships Irvine, California 21 August 2010

Short course metres (25 m pool)

[edit]
As of 6 October 2018 [25]
Event Time Meet Location Date Notes
50 m freestyle 24.27 2016 Australian Championships (25m) Brisbane, Australia 4 November 2016
100 m freestyle 52.67 2015 Australian Championships (25m) Sydney, Australia 26 November 2015
50 m backstroke 25.83 2014 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) Doha, Qatar 7 December 2014
100 m backstroke 55.31 2014 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) Doha, Qatar 4 December 2014
200 m backstroke 1:59.49 2015 Australian Championships (25m) Sydney, Australia 26 November 2015
50 m breaststroke 29.96 2018 FINA Swimming World Cup Budapest, Hungary 6 October 2018
50 m butterfly 25.65 2017 FINA Swimming World Cup Berlin, Germany 6 August 2017
100 m butterfly 1:02.95 2017 FINA Swimming World Cup Doha, Qatar 5 October 2017
100 m individual medley 57.97 2016 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) Windsor, Canada 9 December 2016
200 m individual medley 2:05.46 2017 FINA Swimming World Cup Singapore 18 November 2017

World records

[edit]

Long course metres

[edit]
No. Event Time Meet Location Date Status Ref
1 4x100 m medley relay[a] 3:55.74 2007 World Aquatics Championships Melbourne, Australia 31 March 2007 Former [26]
2 50 m backstroke 27.95 sf Australian Swimming Championships Sydney, Australia 22 March 2008 Former [27]
3 4x100 m medley relay (2)[b] 3:52.69 2008 Summer Olympics Beijing, China 17 August 2008 Former [28]

a split 1:00.79 (1st leg); with Leisel Jones (2nd leg), Jessica Schipper (3rd leg), Libby Lenton (4th leg)
b split 59.33 (1st leg); with Leisel Jones (2nd leg), Jessica Schipper (3rd leg), Libby Trickett (4th leg)

Short course metres

[edit]
No. Event Time Meet Location Date Status Ref
1 100 m individual medley 58.54 Australian Short Course Championships Hobart, Australia 10 August 2009 Former [29]
Legend: OC – Oceanian record; NR – Australian record;
Records not set in finals: h – heat; sf – semifinal; r – relay 1st leg; rh – relay heat 1st leg; b – B final; † – en route to final mark; tt – time trial

Olympic records

[edit]

Long course metres

[edit]
No. Event Time Meet Location Date Status Notes Ref
1 4x100 m medley relay[a] 3:52.69 2008 Summer Olympics Beijing, China 17 August 2008 Former Former WR, OC, NR [28]
2 100 m backstroke 58.23 h 2012 Summer Olympics London, United Kingdom 29 July 2012 Former Former OC, NR [30]
Legend: WR – World record; OC – Oceanian record; NR – Australian record;
Records not set in finals: h – heat; sf – semifinal; r – relay 1st leg; rh – relay heat 1st leg; b – B final; † – en route to final mark; tt – time trial

a split 59.33 (backstroke leg); with Leisel Jones (breaststroke leg ), Jessicah Schipper (butterfly leg), Libby Trickett (freestyle leg)

Personal life

[edit]

In 2015, Seebohm began a relationship with fellow swimmer, Mitch Larkin. Seebohm announced their separation in July 2018.[31] In 2019, Seebohm moved on with breakfast radio host David Lutteral, however after more than a year of dating, the pair split in March 2021.[32][33] Seebohm confirmed in December 2022 that she was dating Ryan Gallagher, who she met while filming The Challenge Australia.[34] In March 2023, the couple announced their engagement, and in September of the same year, their first child, a son, was born.[35][36]

Seebohm, who has endometriosis, is an ambassador for the non-profit organisation Endometriosis Australia.[37]

The Emily Seebohm Aquatic Centre, situated in the Brisbane suburb of Bracken Ridge, was named after the swimmer and officially opened in February 2016.[38]

Filmography

[edit]

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
2022 I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Contestant 4th place
The Challenge: Australia 6th place
2023 The Challenge: World Championship Contestant with Yes Duffy 5th place
2025 Claire Hooper's House Of Games[39] Self 5 episodes

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Emily Seebohm

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Emily Seebohm (born 5 June 1992) is a retired Australian swimmer renowned for her specialization in events and her contributions to relay teams. She competed internationally for 18 years, debuting at the and retiring in December 2024 after a distinguished career that included four Olympic appearances and numerous global accolades. Seebohm's Olympic journey began at the 2008 Games, where, at age 16, she contributed to Australia's in the women's 4×100 m medley , setting a world record of 3:52.69. Over her four Games (2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020), she amassed seven medals: three golds, three silvers, and one bronze, establishing her as one of Australia's most decorated . Her individual highlights include a silver in the 100 m at London 2012 and a bronze in the 200 m at 2020, alongside relay successes that underscored her versatility and team leadership. Beyond the Olympics, Seebohm's achievements were prolific, with 14 long-course medals (five golds, five silvers, four bronzes) and a total of 58 international medals across major competitions. She held four world records during her career, including the 2008 Olympic relay mark, and secured 15 medals, seven of which were gold. Born in and trained primarily with the Brothers Swim Club in , Seebohm overcame personal challenges, including and struggles, to become a trailblazer in women's and an for well-being. Post-retirement, she has transitioned into media and roles, continuing to inspire through her story of resilience and excellence.

Early life

Childhood and family background

Emily Seebohm was born on 5 June 1992 in , . She is the daughter of John Seebohm, an accomplished Australian rules footballer who played over 300 games for the Glenelg Tigers in the (SANFL), and Karen Seebohm, a swimming instructor and former representative player involved in the local community. Seebohm grew up with three brothers—two older and one younger—all of whom shared a family emphasis on sports and physical activity. When Seebohm was two years old, her family relocated from Adelaide to Brisbane, Queensland, where she was raised, partly to support her mother's career in swimming coaching. Her early years were marked by active family outings, including summers at the local club, which introduced her to aquatic environments in a casual, recreational way. As the only girl in the family, Seebohm developed a competitive nature, often engaging in playful rivalries with her brothers, such as bicycle races and roughhousing, while her parents provided consistent encouragement through these formative experiences. The family's support extended to practical adjustments, like relocating closer to a pool facility, underscoring their commitment to nurturing her interests amid a sport-oriented household.

Introduction to swimming and early training

Emily Seebohm was born in , , on 5 June 1992. Her mother, Karen Seebohm, was actively involved with the Marion Swimming Club, organizing events such as matching bathers for swimmers at the 1994 National Championships held at the Aquatic Centre, providing early toddler exposure to the sport. Seebohm's initial involvement in swimming was reluctant; she recounts being dragged to the pool by her parents for approximately six years before developing a passion for it around age 10. At that point, she transitioned to an elite training squad under coach Matt Brown at Nudgee College in , where her technical skills in began to take shape through focused development. This early regimen emphasized daily pool sessions, building endurance and stroke efficiency within Queensland's structured youth programs, which are part of the broader talent pathway designed to identify and nurture promising athletes. By her early teens, Seebohm's progress led to key foundational achievements, including her first national title in the 100m at the 2007 Australian Championships at age 14, marking her entry into higher-level competition. This success stemmed from the systematic training in Brisbane's state squads, highlighting the role of early identification in Australia's swimming ecosystem, though specific talent camps attended around age 13 are not detailed in available records. Her family's encouragement played a pivotal role in sustaining her commitment during these formative years.

Swimming career

Junior and breakthrough years

Seebohm began establishing herself in national junior competitions during her early teenage years. At the 2006 Australian Age Championships in , the 14-year-old secured four gold medals and two silver medals across backstroke and individual medley events, showcasing her emerging talent in those disciplines. The following year, at the 2007 Australian Championships—the selection meet for the —she won the 100m title, a breakthrough that qualified her for her first senior international team at just 15 years old. Her international junior debut came at the in , where she swam the leg for the Australian team to in the 4x100m medley and placed fourth in the 100m final. Seebohm's junior phase culminated in her Olympic debut at the 2008 Games at age 16, where she helped secure medals for in both the women's 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley , establishing her as a rising star on the senior stage. In the 100m , she advanced to the semifinals but finished ninth overall, gaining valuable experience. To support her development, Seebohm relocated from her hometown of to as a young teenager, joining a high-performance training center that emphasized endurance building and technical refinement in and . This move allowed her to train in a professional environment conducive to her rapid progression toward elite competition.

Senior international competitions

Seebohm's senior international career began to flourish following her debut at the 2008 Olympics, where she contributed to Australia's in the women's 4x100m . At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, Seebohm secured multiple gold medals, including the 100m backstroke and participation in victorious relay teams such as the 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley relays, contributing to her total of eight medals at the event. Her breakthrough came at the 2012 London Olympics, where she earned a silver medal in the 100m backstroke behind Missy Franklin of the United States, along with a gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay and another silver in the 4x100m medley relay. Seebohm dominated the backstroke events at the over the following years, winning five gold medals across 2011 to 2019, with particular success in the 200m , where she claimed titles in 2015 in and 2017 in , showcasing her endurance and technique in the event. She also secured additional medals in the 100m and various relays, amassing a total of 14 World Championship medals, including five golds overall. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Seebohm placed seventh in the 100m backstroke final but helped Australia to a silver medal in the 4x100m medley relay, marking their sixth consecutive Olympic podium in the event. Seebohm continued her strong performances at subsequent Commonwealth Games, earning gold in the 100m backstroke at the 2014 Glasgow edition and a gold in the 50m backstroke at the 2018 Gold Coast Games, where she also took silver in the 100m backstroke and bronze in the 200m backstroke, contributing to her career total of 15 Commonwealth medals, including seven golds. Facing personal and professional challenges, including struggles and a new motherhood, Seebohm competed at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she won bronze in the 200m —her first individual —behind compatriot and Canada's Kylie Masse, and contributed to Australia's gold in the 4x100m medley relay. Over her senior career, Seebohm accumulated seven Olympic medals (three golds, three silvers, one bronze), 14 medals (five golds, five silvers, four bronzes), and 15 medals (seven golds, four silvers, four bronzes), establishing her as one of Australia's most decorated swimmers in backstroke and events.

International Swimming League involvement

Emily Seebohm joined the inaugural 2019 season of the (ISL) as a member of Energy Standard, becoming the only Australian athlete on the roster that year. Her participation helped Energy Standard secure the league's first championship in , where she contributed key performances in events during the season finale. In the 2020 ISL season, Seebohm continued with Energy Standard, which finished as runners-up to the after a competitive campaign held in amid the . She recorded individual victories, including the women's 200m in a time of 2:01.04 during the semifinals, and placed highly in other races, bolstering her team's momentum points throughout the shortened season. These efforts earned her approximately $32,300 in , providing a significant financial supplement to her Australian national funding and highlighting the ISL's role in offering opportunities for swimmers. Seebohm's involvement promoted the ISL's innovative team-based format, which emphasized fast-paced short-course racing and strategic elements like momentum scoring, attracting global attention to the league's potential to modernize professional swimming. However, balancing ISL commitments with preparations for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics proved challenging, particularly as the pandemic led to a condensed 2020 schedule and limited international travel, with many Australian swimmers, including Seebohm, opting out of the 2021 season to prioritize Olympic qualification.

Retirement announcement

Emily Seebohm announced her retirement from competitive on 31 December 2024 through a social media post on , marking the end of an 18-year elite career that began with her first Australian Open team selection in 2007. In her statement, Seebohm highlighted shifting priorities toward motherhood—having returned to training just eight months after giving birth to her son in 2023—as a key factor, alongside the cumulative physical toll of the sport and a wish to embrace new challenges after reflecting on her performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Her final competitions included the 2024 Australian Swimming Trials in June, where she placed fifth in the 200m final but did not secure individual qualification for the Paris Olympics, as well as participation in relay events and the State Titles in December. Seebohm's legacy encompasses 218 total medals from and Olympic events, including 178 from the Swimming circuit, seven Olympic medals across four Games, and 14 World Championships medals; Australia paid tribute to her as a mentor and team leader, with head coach Rohan Taylor praising her enduring impact on Australian .

Competitive achievements

Results in major championships

Emily Seebohm's medal haul in major championships underscores her dominance in backstroke and events, with a total of 7 Olympic medals, 24 Championship medals (14 long course and 10 short course), 15 medals, 12 Pan Pacific Championship medals, and 178 World Cup medals across her career.

Olympic Games

YearEventMedal
2008Women 4x100 Medley Relay
2012Women 4x100 Freestyle Relay
2012Women 100 BackstrokeSilver
2012Women 4x100 Medley RelaySilver
2016Women 4x100 Medley RelaySilver
2021Women 4x100 Medley Relay
2021Women 200 Backstroke
Overall: 3 golds, 3 silvers, 1 bronze.

World Championships (Long Course)

YearEventMedal
2007Women 4x100 Medley Gold
2009Women 4x100 Medley Silver
2009Women 100 Bronze
2013Women 100 Silver
2013Women 4x100 Freestyle RelaySilver
2013Women 4x100 Medley Silver
2015Women 100 Gold
2015Women 200 Gold
2015Women 4x100 Freestyle RelayGold
2015Women 4x100 Medley Bronze
2017Women 200 Gold
2017Women 4x100 Freestyle RelaySilver
2017Women 100 Bronze
2017Women 4x100 Medley Bronze
Overall: 5 golds, 5 silvers, 4 bronzes.

World Championships (Short Course)

YearEventMedal
2014Women 50 BackstrokeSilver
2014Women 100 BackstrokeSilver
2014Women 200 BackstrokeSilver
2014Women 4x100 Medley Silver
2014Women 100 Medley
2016Women 100 MedleySilver
2016Women 200 Backstroke
2016Women 4x100 Medley
2018Women 200 Backstroke
2018Women 4x50 Freestyle
Overall: 0 golds, 5 silvers, 5 bronzes.

Commonwealth Games

YearEventMedal
2010Women 100 Gold
2010Women 4x100 Freestyle Gold
2010Women 4x100 Medley Gold
2010Women 100 FreestyleSilver
2010Women 200 MedleySilver
2010Women 50 Bronze
2010Women 200 Bronze
2010Women 50 Bronze
2014Women 100 Gold
2014Women 4x100 Medley Gold
2014Women 200 Silver
2018Women 50 Gold
2018Women 4x100 Medley Gold
2018Women 100 Silver
2018Women 200 Bronze
Overall: 7 golds, 4 silvers, 4 bronzes.

Pan Pacific Championships

YearEventMedal
2010Women 100
2010Women 200 Medley
2010Women 100 FreestyleSilver
2010Women 50 ButterflySilver
2010Women 4x100 Freestyle RelaySilver
2010Women 4x100 Medley RelaySilver
2014Women 100
2014Women 4x100 Medley Relay
2014Women 200 Silver
2018Women 4x100 Freestyle Relay
2018Women 4x100 Medley Relay
2018Women 100 Silver
Overall: 6 golds, 6 silvers.

World Cup Series

Seebohm collected 178 medals in the FINA World Cup series, comprising 59 golds, 70 silvers, and 49 bronzes, primarily in , medley, and events across multiple circuits from 2007 to 2023.

Career best times

Emily Seebohm's career best times reflect her dominance in events, with significant improvements during her peak years from 2012 to 2017, when she refined her technique and endurance for major international competitions. Early in her career, she established strong foundations in and individual medley events, but her times sharpened considerably leading up to and following the 2012 Olympics, where she achieved breakthrough performances in . By 2017, she had set multiple national records, showcasing evolution from a promising junior to a world-class competitor, particularly in the 100m and 200m , where her splits demonstrated improved underwater efficiency and turn speed at key venues like Olympic pools and World Championship facilities.

Long course (50 m pool)

Seebohm's long course personal bests were often set at high-stakes meets, including the Olympics and World Championships, where the 50m pool format favored her powerful closing speeds.
EventTimeDateLocationContext
100 m 58.2329 July 2012, , Set during the Olympic heats, marking her career highlight in the event and ranking her among the all-time top performers.
200 m 2:05.6829 July 2017Danube Arena, , Achieved in the World Championships final, establishing an Oceanic record and demonstrating peak form in the longer backstroke distance.
200 m individual medley2:05.4619 2017 National Aquatics Centre, , Recorded at the FINA World Cup, improving on earlier marks and highlighting her versatility across strokes in a competitive field.

Short course (25 m pool)

In short course pools, Seebohm excelled in faster-paced races, setting records at and world short course events, with her bests often coming from Australian national championships and international meets in and the . Her short course times showed consistent progression, peaking around 2014-2018, where the shorter pool length amplified her explosive starts and walls.
EventTimeDateLocationContext
100 m 55.314 December 2014Hamad Aquatic Centre, Doha, Qatar and Australian record set in the FINA World Short Course Championships semifinal, underscoring her short course supremacy.
200 m 1:59.4926 November 2015 Aquatic Centre, , Nearly broke the world record at the Australian Short Course Championships, setting a and national mark in a domestic meet.
200 m individual medley2:07.548 November 2014 Aquatic Centre, , Won at the Australian Short Course Championships, reflecting solid medley form in a pool conducive to her -led strategy.
These personal bests contributed to several world and Olympic records in relay events, though her individual marks established her as Australia's premier backstroker across both pool lengths.

World and Olympic records

Emily Seebohm established multiple world records in both long course and short course swimming, particularly in backstroke and medley relay events early in her career. Her first world record came in the long course 50 m backstroke at the 2008 Australian Championships, where she clocked 27.95 seconds in the semifinals, holding it for one day before it was surpassed. In relay events, Seebohm contributed to two long course world records in the women's 4 × 100 m medley as part of the Australian team. At the 2007 FINA World Aquatics Championships in , the team set a time of 3:55.74, which stood until 2008. The following year, at the 2008 Olympics, they improved to 3:52.69 for gold, retaining the record until it was broken in 2009. In short course , Seebohm set the in the 100 m individual medley at the 2009 Australian Short Course Championships with a time of 58.54 seconds, holding it for just over two months until it was lowered in October 2009. Seebohm also set Olympic records, including in the 2008 4 × 100 m medley (3:52.69) and the 2012 women's 100 m heats (58.23 seconds). No new records were set by Seebohm after 2012, with several of her earlier marks broken by 2019.
EventTypeTimeDateLocationDuration HeldSource
50 m backstrokeLong course WR (individual)27.9522 March 2008Sydney, 1 day
4 × 100 m medley relayLong course WR (relay)3:55.7431 March 2007Melbourne, ~1 year 4 months (until 17 Aug 2008)
4 × 100 m medley relayLong course WR & OR (relay)3:52.6917 August 2008Beijing, China~1 year (until 1 Aug 2009)
100 m individual medleyShort course WR (individual)58.5410 August 2009, ~2 months (until 17 Oct 2009)
100 m backstrokeOlympic record (heats)58.2329 July 2012, ~4 years (until 2016)

Personal life

Family and relationships

Emily Seebohm was born to parents John and Karen Seebohm in , , on June 5, 1992. Her father, John, is a former Australian rules footballer who played over 300 games for the Glenelg Football Club in the (SANFL) and was later inducted into the club's hall of fame. Karen, her mother, has been a key supporter throughout Seebohm's swimming career, often highlighting the challenges of raising a champion athlete while maintaining family bonds. The family has deep roots in 's southeast region, with extended relatives in areas like and , contributing to a strong support network that has influenced Seebohm's personal and professional life. Seebohm's romantic relationships have often intersected with her high-profile career. She began dating Ryan Gallagher, a contestant from the Australian reality television show Married at First Sight in 2018, after meeting him while filming The Challenge Australia in late 2022. The couple went public with their relationship in December 2022 and became engaged in March 2023. Their partnership marked a significant personal milestone, blending Seebohm's athletic world with Gallagher's entertainment background. In September 2023, Seebohm and Gallagher welcomed their first child, a son named Sampson Ryan Seebohm, born on September 11. The birth was announced publicly, with Seebohm sharing details of the delivery and expressing joy at starting a family, which she described as a dream come true amid her ongoing swimming commitments. The couple's engagement ended in early 2025, with reports emerging in April and Gallagher confirming the amicable separation in November 2025 after nearly three years together. The pair prioritize co-parenting their son; Gallagher relocated to Brisbane to remain close to Sampson and the Seebohm family while living independently. Seebohm has emphasized the importance of their family support system post-retirement, noting that parenthood and relational changes influenced her decision to step away from competitive swimming to focus on personal well-being. By October 2025, Seebohm sparked dating rumors after posting photos from a basketball game in , appearing affectionate with an unidentified man. The images, shared shortly after her split from Gallagher, fueled speculation about a new romance, though Seebohm has not confirmed any details. Meanwhile, Gallagher has been spotted with Australian country singer Missy Lancaster, including hosting events together, adding to public interest in their post-separation lives while both maintain a focus on co-parenting effectively.

Health and advocacy

Seebohm has faced significant health challenges throughout her career, including a diagnosis of in 2016 that caused severe cramps, , stomach aches, and disrupted training. Despite the condition, she competed at the Rio Olympics, securing gold in the 4×100 m medley relay, but underwent in December 2016. The procedure provided some relief, though symptoms persisted and highlighted the physical demands on female athletes. From 2018 to 2020, Seebohm struggled with an exacerbated by a personal break-up and coaching pressure to lose weight for better performance. Symptoms encompassed , purging, use, obsessive calorie tracking, meal skipping, and frequent self-weighing, leading to emotional distress and affected training. In December 2020, she publicly disclosed the two-year ordeal via , committing to recovery through therapy, , and peer support from swimmers like Brittany Elmslie. This revelation marked a turning point, allowing her to address issues while continuing to compete. Chronic shoulder pain, beginning in April 2016, further complicated her preparation during 2019-2020, limiting training intensity and contributing to performance variability amid the disruptions. Her retirement announcement in January 2025 was partly influenced by these cumulative health tolls, including post-childbirth recovery after giving birth in September 2023. Through her experiences, Seebohm has become a prominent for and wellness in sports. She has delivered public speeches and appeared on platforms like I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2022 to detail her , aiming to destigmatize such struggles and encourage athletes to seek help. Her openness about has similarly raised awareness, emphasizing the need for better support for women in high-performance environments. Post-retirement, she engages as a on athlete , partnering with organizations like Swimming Australia to promote resources for and recovery.

Media career

Television appearances

Following her participation in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Emily Seebohm ventured into , marking the beginning of her transition from competitive to media. In early 2022, she competed as a contestant on the eighth season of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Australia on , enduring jungle challenges in while supporting the charity endED, which aligned with her personal advocacy experiences. That same year, Seebohm showcased her physical skills on Australian Ninja Warrior season 6, navigating obstacle courses that tested her agility and strength beyond the pool. In November 2022, she joined the cast of The Challenge: Australia on Paramount+, a competitive reality series where participants faced physical and strategic trials; during the show, she formed a relationship with fellow contestant Ryan Gallagher, a former Married at First Sight participant. Seebohm also made targeted guest appearances on panel shows to discuss topical issues. In April 2022, she appeared on The Project on to condemn the unauthorized use of her image in a transphobic billboard campaign by the conservative group Advance Australia, emphasizing her opposition to such misuse. In the lead-up to the 2024 Olympics, Seebohm participated in an Olympic-themed special episode of Tipping Point Australia on the in June 2024, teaming up with swimming legends and Paralympian Blake Cochrane to compete in the quiz game for charitable causes. After announcing her retirement from competitive on December 31, 2024, Seebohm pivoted fully to media, taking on roles as a television personality and expert commentator for swimming broadcasts, increasing her public profile in the post-athletic phase of her career.

Other public engagements

Seebohm has served as an ambassador for Endometriosis Australia since 2017, raising awareness about the condition she has personally managed while competing at the elite level. In this role, she has shared her experiences publicly to encourage others to seek and support, emphasizing the challenges of balancing athletic performance with health issues. In 2021, Seebohm became an ambassador for endED, a Queensland-based organization supporting individuals with eating disorders, drawing from her own struggles with and during her career. She has used her platform to advocate for in , highlighting the pressures faced by athletes and promoting recovery through open dialogue. Seebohm is also an ambassador for RSPCA Queensland, where she promotes and opposes practices like puppy farming, motivated by her lifelong love of animals and ownership of two dogs. She participates in campaigns and events to educate the public on responsible pet care. Earlier in her career, Seebohm held the role of ambassador ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, featuring in global marketing campaigns that supported female athletes and highlighted for active lifestyles. Additionally, in 2013, she acted as an UNCLE TOBYS ambassador for Royal Life Saving Australia's Swim Kids Operation 10,000 program, which aimed to provide subsidized to 10,000 disadvantaged children; she promoted the initiative through public appearances, including a promotional event at Palm Beach Aquatic Centre.

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