The Australian Olympic Committee has today announced the Olympian Futures Fund with a series of grants for Olympians to support their life beyond sport.
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.
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 to Brisbane 2032. The AOC will distribute approximately $7.6 million in Team Selection Payments between 2026 – 2032.
“This is the AOC’s most significant funding announcement since the Australian Olympic Foundation (AOF) was established leading into Sydney 2000,” said AOC President Ian Chesterman.
“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.”
“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,” said Paris 2024 and LA28 Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission Anna Meares OAM.
“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.”
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 instalments 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 are entitled to receive $64,000.
The assessment criteria will include a means-testing threshold (amount TBC). The first iteration of the grant will conclude in 2032.
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 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 Olympic competition.
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 Olympic sport is required. Athletes can receive the grant multiple times for multiple births.
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 and Olympic careers can be compatible. This grant was developed in consultation with athletes to make the decision to return to sport easier.
“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,” said AOC Athletes’ Commission Deputy Chair Alyce Wood
“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,” Wood said.
