Elka Whalan

Australian Freestyle Champion

Elka Whalan spent almost seven years at the top of Australian swimming. A dual Olympian, she has achieved both Australian and Commonwealth records including the Australian 400m Freestyle short course record, which she held for over five years.

Following her retirement from competitive swimming, Elka Whalan established a solid career in journalism and the media. She has appeared on all major television channels and performed in high rating shows including Dancing with the Stars (Channel 7). 

Elka has worked as a model and appeared in many magazines, including Marie Claire, Cleo, FHM and Alpha. She was the face of the AGC Spring Racing Carnival in 2004.

A woman of eloquence, she has written for magazines and news papers including Marie Claire, New Idea and the Sun Herald. A humorous, highly inspirational presenter with a down to earth, approachable personality, Elka Whalan is in high demand as an MC and keynote speaker. Her engaging, motivational message is relevant to people of all ages and all walks of life.

More about Elka Whalan:

Elka was at the top of Australian swimming for almost seven years. A dual Olympian, she won Olympic silver in the 4 x 200m Freestyle relay in Athens 2004 and has come home with medals from World Championships, Commonwealth Games, the World Cup (Gold!) and Pan Pacific championships. Elka has achieved both Australian and Commonwealth records including the Australian 400m Freestyle short course record, which she held for over five years. In 2001 she recorded the world's fastest swim for the 200m Freestyle and was officially ranked Number One in the world. Between 2001-2004 she was consistently in the Top Three in the world for both the 200m and 400m Freestyle.

In 2003, Elka survived a month in hospital after being diagnosed with a worrying heart condition. Yet her positive mindset saw her win Gold in the 200m, 400m and 800m at the World Cup just a month after her release from hospital, marginally missing world record times.

Elka ended her swimming career with no less than 10 Australian Championship Gold medals (both long and short course). She came home with a medal from every meet in which she ever competed apart from Athens (when she finished 4th in the 4 x 200m relay).

Elka Whalan has MC'd or presented to many of Australia's corporations including Energy Australia, Macquarie Bank, Coles, Woolworth's and Uncle Tobys.  She has also spoken at primary schools, high schools and tertiary institutions nationwide, NSW and other sports awards nights, many high profile charity fundraisers (at which she's often been the MC) and even directly to politicians in Canberra about the importance of water safety.

Elka is a passionate supporter of charity groups and has worked extensively to raise awareness of and funds for the Heart Foundation, Nelune Foundation and Ronald McDonald House. Elka is an Ambassador for the online sport community DoubleDrummer.com, a group which is supporting her endeavour to establish a 'swim for safety' program in Papua New Guinea through Australian Volunteers International.

Elka Whalan talks about:

• Finding yourself and your talent
• Team work and the strength of foundation
• Motivation and the failures that make you greater
• Every day above ground is a good one - the reason we can all succeed
• Candid and raw - Elka opens up re. the disqualification of the Womens 4 x 200m freestyle relay where they dived in too early and were World Champions for just 30 seconds
• Drug testing procedures... what really happens
• Experience of an Olympic Games and life in the Olympic Village
• Question and answer time