Chelsea Jones is a lifesaving athlete who was awarded a Tier 2 Scholarship within the 2024 Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship and Mentoring Program.
Chelsea is a talented and dedicated athlete in the world of lifesaving and pool rescue. Born in 2005 on the beautiful south coast of New South Wales, Chelsea’s journey in the sport began at a young age as a nipper at Bulli Surf Lifesaving Club. Her love for lifesaving was evident from the start, and she showed promise as a competitive and hardworking athlete.
Throughout her early years, Chelsea enjoyed participating in various sports, including netball, athletics, and swimming. After spending five years in representative netball, she decided to focus on swimming and lifesaving in 2020.
As a pool swimmer, Chelsea consistently achieved remarkable success at the state and national levels. Her ability in the pool seamlessly translated into her performance in surf lifesaving, resulting in impressive results at NSW State and Australian titles. It was this perfect blend of pool swimming and surf lifesaving that fuelled her love for lifesaving and pool rescue.
The year 2022 marked a defining moment in Chelsea’s career when she achieved outstanding results at the National Royal Lifesaving Championships. She showcased her strength with an impressive collection of three gold and three silver medals, securing her place on the prestigious Australian Youth Lifesaving Team. The team made further history at the 2022 World Lifesaving Competition in Riccione, Italy, with Chelsea as the captain. Under her leadership, the Australian youth team emerged victorious, claiming the overall point score. Individually, Chelsea’s brilliance shone brightly as she earned an impressive tally of four gold and two silver medals, including a world record-breaking feat in the 4x25m manikin relay.
Stepping into the realm of open-age competition, Chelsea continued to leave her mark at the 2023 Royal Lifesaving Championships in Melbourne. She was an unstoppable force, achieving outstanding results by winning all her events and capturing an astounding 6 gold medals. Her exceptional performances earned her the prestigious title of “female swimmer of the meet” and a spot on the open Australian Royal Lifesaving team. Her next challenge awaits at the Commonwealth Lifesaving Championships in Windsor, Canada, in September 2023, where she aims to achieve excellent results internationally once again.
Chelsea’s aspirations reach even greater heights as she sets her sights on representing Australia at the 2024 World Lifesaving Championships in the open team category. Her dedication, commitment, and unwavering passion for the sport are driving her towards even more exceptional results in her chosen sports.
As Chelsea continues to excel in the world of lifesaving and pool rescue, she remains an inspiration to aspiring athletes across the globe. With her remarkable achievements, fierce determination, and relentless pursuit of excellence, there is no doubt that Chelsea Jones is destined for an outstanding future in the world of sport. Chelsea is a grateful recipient of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship & Mentoring Program that will continue to support and nurture her on this remarkable journey.
“Being among the few applicants chosen as a Tier 2 SAHOF Scholarship holder is an honour. I see it as a recognition and acknowledgement of my achievements up to date as an athlete as well as an opportunity to gain assistance to excel in my sport. The SAHOF Scholarship is a pathway to connect to some of the greatest Australian athletes of all time and to other like-minded aspiring athletes. To be able to have the support of SAHOF behind me will help encourage and give me inspiration to develop as an athlete and take my performance to the next step” – Chelsea Jones on being selected as a 2024 Tier 2 Scholarship Holder
Honours & Achievements
- 2023: Royal Lifesaving Nationals 1st Place in All Individual Events (6 Gold Medals) and Female Swimmer of the Meet
- 2022: Youth World Championships 200m Obstacles Race 2nd Place
- 2022: Youth World Championships 4x 25m Manikin Relay 1st Place and World Record
- 2022: Youth World Championships 100m Rescue Medley Race 4th Place
- 2022: Royal Lifesaving Nationals 3 Gold Medals and 3 Silver Medals
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