World Aquatics Hosts Inaugural Athletes’ Career Summit

From 3—5 December, World Aquatics hosted the inaugural “From Podiums to Possibilities” Athletes’ Career Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland.

It brought together 18 elite athletes from all aquatic sports for a three-day programme focused on career transition, personal development and life beyond competitive sport.

Recognising that moving on from elite sport can be challenging, World Aquatics has set out to create a dedicated space to support athletes as they navigate the next stage of their careers, whether it is in within aquatics or in new professional directions.

The Summit provided a safe environment for athletes to reflect openly, learn from peers and mentors, and explore new opportunities through panel discussions, breakout workshops and immersive activities. This included breakout sessions, panel discussions and a DiSC personality assessment led by World Aquatics HR Director Nicola Rogers, helping participants understand their behavioural strengths and how to leverage them in future roles.

Alongside Anthony Ervin, an Olympic and World Swimming champion, Master of Ceremony Ana Jelušić Black, a three-time Olympic Alpine skier, the Summit balanced a celebration of achievements with practical support for what comes next.

Speakers and Sessions

The Summit brought together a group of distinguished speakers from sport, business and leadership. This included Coy Wire, former NFL safety and CNN sports anchor; Ivan Rakitić, former professional footballer, UEFA Foundation trustee, and technical director at HNK Hajduk Split; Cameron van der Burgh, Olympic gold medallist swimmer and hedge fund manager; Bill O’Brien, retired professional lacrosse player and entrepreneur; Claudio Gonzalez, founder and CEO of EXCENSY Group, Mathias Padilla, founder of AIM (EXCENSY Group) and creative director; Thomas Junod, head of UEFA Academy; and Joël Pinson, UEFA Academy programme and management expert.

Breakout sessions focused on personal branding, building your network and giving back to sport; building your own business; exploring new career paths and reimagining identity, values and purpose beyond sport.

The Summit offered practical tools, mentorship and strategies to help athletes translate the skills developed in sport such as discipline, resilience and leadership into successful post-athletic careers.

“I think the most beneficial thing to note was don’t do it all yourself … I would tell every athlete if there is another Summit where people want to help you for after your career, just do it,” said Sharon van Rouwendaal, a swimmer and Summit participant.

Reflections From Speakers

“I’ve experienced first hand what it’s like to transition from the field to a completely different career, and it can be challenging, but it’s also exciting,” said keynote speaker Wire. “There’s so much opportunity, and the athletes I’ve spoken to during this summit are full of talent and insight that the world should hear, in whatever way they choose to share it.”

“When you spend years in professional sport, it can feel like you live for the next competition, the next training session, the next challenge,” said Rakitić. “Eventually, there comes a point when you have to ask yourself, ‘What’s next?’ It’s great to see World Aquatics supporting athletes through that journey … It’s been great to be a part of this!”

“Growing up balancing my Onondaga heritage with competitive sport taught me early that resilience is about knowing your purpose and staying true to it,” said O’Brien. “Transitioning out of professional sport is never easy, but it’s also an opportunity to take what you’ve learned and apply it in new ways … At this Summit, I hope I’ve given athletes some of the tools and perspectives I wish I had when I first retired.”

“Life after sport can feel uncertain, yet it’s also an opportunity to take the skills you’ve developed and apply them in ways that continue to challenge and fulfil you,” said van der Burgh. “As a former competitive swimmer, it’s especially rewarding to see World Aquatics supporting athletes so directly in this area … Fundamentally, once you’re part of the global aquatics community, that connection never goes away. That sense of belonging was strongly felt here at the Summit.”

By offering mentorship, skill-building opportunities and a supportive network after the Summit, World Aquatics wants to ensure that athletes are equipped to navigate new challenges, build new careers they are inspired by, and remain connected to the global aquatics community.