Marayke Jonkers

Marayke Jonkers is a Paralympic swimmer, paratriathlete, motivational speaker and the founder of Sporting Dreams, a charity dedicated to supporting young athletes with disabilities. Renowned for her courage, determination and love of life, Marayke inspires audiences through both her sporting achievements and her powerful advocacy for inclusion and opportunity.

At just 13 years old, Marayke wrote a list of 100 lifetime goals. By the age of 30, she had achieved every one — with winning a Paralympic medal at the very top. Over her career, she won three Paralympic medals, broke the world record in the 100m butterfly, and set more than 70 Australian swimming records across multiple strokes. In 2009, she made history as Australia’s first female paratriathlete and went on to win bronze at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Budapest.

Marayke became a paraplegic as a baby following a car accident. Encouraged by her mother, she learned to swim and discovered a passion for sport that would shape her life. She retired from competitive swimming in 2011 due to thoracic outlet syndrome, but her commitment to sport and mentoring has continued through Sporting Dreams, which has supported more than 40 young athletes with disabilities to pursue their sporting goals.

Beyond elite sport, Marayke holds two university degrees in social science and communications and achieved a Dean’s Commendation for Academic Excellence while training for the Paralympics. Her achievements have been recognised through numerous awards, including Young Achiever of the Year, and she was honoured as an Olympic torch bearer at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

An avid adventurer, Marayke enjoys skydiving, sit-skiing, kayaking, camel riding and handcycling along Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Through her motivational speaking, she challenges audiences to reframe adversity, embrace opportunity and live life with courage and optimism. As her favourite quote reminds us: “You never know what you can do until you try.”