Nikki Ayers

ACT | Capital Lakes Rowing Club

Nikki Ayers is an accomplished Australian Paralympic rower . Born on March 3, 1991, in Narooma, New South Wales, Ayers moved to Canberra to pursue a nursing degree at the University of Canberra.

Before her rowing career, she was a talented rugby union player, captaining the ACT Women's Brumbies 7's team. However, a serious injury in 2016, where a tackle resulted in a dislocated knee and severe nerve damage, led to the loss of feeling in her foot and required 16 operations to save her leg.

Her journey into para rowing began in 2017 through a Train4Tokyo session at the Australian Institute of Sport.

By January 2018, she was training seriously and was soon selected for the PR3 mixed coxed four at the 2018 World Rowing Championships, where her crew finished fifth.

Ayers has also claimed victories in the PR3 Women's Single Scull at the Australian Rowing Championships in 2019 and 2021.

Ayers represented Australia in the PR3 Mix 4+ at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, where her crew reached the final but finished just shy of a medal.

After completing her midwifery studies in Canberra, she relocated to Adelaide to train with Jed Altschwager in the PR3 Mixed Double.

Together, they achieved significant success, winning a gold medal at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade. Ayers and Altschwager are now set to compete at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, where they aim to continue their winning streak.

Beyond rowing, Ayers has continued her professional career, working as a registered nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at The Canberra Hospital and holding a postgraduate Diploma in Critical Care.