Our Ambassadors

Rowan Crothers’ is a multiple Paralympic Champion and gold/silver medalist. Rowan is the fastest freestyler with a disability in the World! 

But its not the only side to this ultra competitive athlete. When he’s not tracing the black line in a pool, he’s taking on the world in esports - a second career he put on hold to pursue his Tokyo 2020 dreams.

Rowan emerged from the pool at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Japan with his arms outstretched and a shocked look on his face. After more than a decade of daily training, he’d done it. He’d reached a goal he set for himself at 10 years old, sitting alongside his mom watching the TV: a gold medal in the Paralympic Games.

One of Rowan's biggest passions in life is advocacy for people who are different - whether it's disability, gender, age, race, or that kid who doesn't fit in at school. Regardless of your background, you can be successful if you work hard enough.

FIGHT4BALANCE is inspired and honoured to welcome Rowan as our 'No Limits Ambassador'. 

F4B is proud to welcome Mr Jeff Horn as our F4B myFightClub Ambassador. 

Jeff, aka ‘The Hornet’, grew up in Brisbane and began boxing as a means to defend himself from bullies as a teenager.  As an amateur fighter, he represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He holds a Bachelor of Education degree and on 2 July 2017, the humble schoolteacher became world boxing champion at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium before a global audience of hundreds of millions.  Jeff’s journey to victory over one of the greatest boxers of all time, Manny Pacquiao, resonates with anyone who has ever felt downhearted or dejected – anyone who has ever been an outsider – which are the shared experiences adolescent boys with disabilities find themselves in every day.

Jeff has a simple message: “Never give up on your dreams, because if you push through tough times, amazing things can happen.”  This message resonates strongly with parents and siblings of children with disabilities who dream a life for all their children and often lose the will or inspiration to fight for their own dreams along the way. 

F4B is honoured and excited to have Jeff as Ambassador for our myFightClub Program; and a real-life hero for our adolescent youth with learning & perceptual disabilities (our ‘All Stars’) and their families.

F4B is excited and honoured to welcome Jodie Henry OAM (Order of Australia Medal) as our F4B Ambassador of our Adaptive Water-Comfort & Swim Program: mySwimSquad. 

For many, the Athens Olympics will be fondly remembered as the Olympics that announced Jodie Henry to the world. Australia’s new Queen of the pool smashed three world records on her way to winning three gold medals. Jodie burst onto the scene after the Sydney Games where she enjoyed success at Commonwealth and World Championship level before making the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad her own. From Brisbane’s Chandler Swim Club, where her teammates included Alice Mills, Jodie graduated to the Telstra Dolphins squad in 2001.

After gaining confidence and form against some of the world’s best on the European Mare Nostrum Tour in 2002, Jodie landed (3) gold and (1) silver medal at the Manchester Commonwealth Games and was a part of the team that broke the Commonwealth Record for the 4 x 100m freestyle relay. Her affinity with relays continued at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, when she swam an amazing final leg to give Australia an upset victory over the USA in the 4 x100m medley relay, again in record time. Swimming at her first FINA World Championships, Jodie again produced her trademark powerful finish to take silver in the 100-metrefreestyle. Bronze in each of the relay events capped off a fine World Championships for Henry. Her standout year was recognised when she was named the 2003 Speedo Female Sprint Freestyle Swimmer of the Year.

After producing personal bests at the Telstra Olympic Team Trials in the 50, 100 and 200m freestyle, Jodie ventured to Athens with victory in mind. On Day 1, Henry produced a withering finish to give Australia gold in the women’s 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay and ownership of the world record. The ever-smiling Jodie then broke the world record in her semi-final of the 100 metres freestyle enroute to her first individual Olympic gold medal – Australia’s first in this event since Dawn Fraser at the 1964 Tokyo Games.

Saving perhaps the best for last, Jodie swam away in the anchor leg to secure Australia’s win in the 4 x 100 metre medley relay, again in a new world record time. Since Athens, Henry has affirmed her world number one ranking with victory in the 100m freestyle at the 2005 World Championships in Montreal. In 2006, Jodie showed her class at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne by winning gold in the 4x100m Freestyle and two individual silver medals in the 50m and 100m freestyle. Jodie competed in her fourth World Championships in Melbourne in 2007 where she produced a phenomenal final leg in the women’s 4 x 100m to steer Australia to the gold medal. Jodie Henry has hung up her goggles and is currently enjoying life in Brisbane. Jodie is married to former Brisbane Lions Premiership star Tim Notting and is the proud mother of their three young children.

Jodie's young children and the enjoyment they experience participating in water based activities are what inspired her to be part of the adaptive swim program. Growing up in Queensland, learning to swim is a part of most children’s lives from a very young age. Feeling safe and comfortable in the water is something a lot of us take for granted and have never really considered not enjoying swimming. Jodie loves that this program is offering the opportunity to children who typically would fear the water to have fun in a safe and nurturing environment.

Katja Dedekind is a women's 50 metres freestyle S13 world record holder at  Birmingham 2022.
As one of the youngest members of the 2016 Australian Paralympic Team, Katja Dedekind punched well beyond her weight when she won a bronze medal on debut at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Born in Durban, South Africa, but raised in the Sunshine State, Katja’s love affair with Para-swimming goes as far back as she can remember. While goalball came and went – at one stage, she trained alongside the Australian women’s team – Para-swimming remained a constant.