Written by Medibank
August 2022
Former Australian Olympian Nicole Livingstone is one of Australia’s greatest backstrokers, having won 10 consecutive National Titles between 1987-1996, and competed in three Olympic Games. Out of the pool, Nicole has become a hugely successful ex-athlete presenter and is now General Manager for the AFLW. With these accolades, it would be easy to assume that there is no challenge too big for her to handle.
However, while most of her athletic career was injury-free, Nicole underwent two partial knee replacements at the age of 49. Faced with incredible uncertainty in her physical mobility, Nicole’s resilience was tested in a new way.
"To go through an entire athletic career without serious injury, only to tear the meniscus in both knees in my forties was certainly confronting," said Nicole. Luckily, her athletic journey had helped to equip her with the grit and determination she needed for her recovery.
Making childhood dreams come true
The youngest of three children, Nicole was just nine years old when she watched her first Olympics on TV. Deciding she too would compete one day, she immediately enrolled in swimming training. With hard work and incredible determination, Nicole made the Australian senior team just four years later, at age 13.
Having represented Australia at three Olympics and won multiple golds at the Commonwealth Games, Nicole still holds the longest defence of the Australian National Title for 100m Backstroke.
Nicole’s passion for AFL was also born in her childhood years, following in her mum’s footsteps as a passionate Carlton supporter. Her love of AFL would later see her make history again, being appointed the General Manager of Women’s Football (AFLW) in 2017 – the first woman in charge of the sport.
As a much-loved role model, Nicole has successfully paved the way for other women in sport – not only by representing females in Australian Football but serving as an inspiration for other women to be able to set their mind to something and, to put it simply, achieve it.
Discovering Medibank at Home
Fast forward to 2021, when two partial knee replacements made Nicole realise that, for the first time, taking charge of her health meant having the courage to ask for help and accept it from other people.
Through Rehab at Home – a program that offers care, such as nursing, physio, occupational therapy, exercise physiology and speech therapy, for eligible members following surgery or hospitalisation and is part of Medibank at Home – Nicole began her rehabilitation journey in the comfort of her own house.
Throughout the process, Nicole’s Rehab at Home physiotherapist, Megan, would visit her for a variety of physical activities and assessment tasks to track progression on both knees.
Rehab at Home allowed Nicole to not only be more present while her three children were remote learning, including two completing their VCE, but also allowed her children to be able to support their mum at home, too.
“While everyone’s journey is different, my tailored rehabilitation program allowed me to work-through my recovery in the comfort of home and surrounded by family,” said Nicole.
Whether that meant being home to help with a maths question or family time walking to the oval – Rehab at Home provided the convenience and ease for the Livingstones to continue living their lives and not be controlled by the situation.
Since launching in 2016, over 20,000 members have experienced the convenience of in-home care with Medibank at Home.
Watch: Nicole Livingstone talks about her Medibank at Home experience
Rehab at Home
Eligible members can receive care from a registered health professional in the comfort of their own home, where clinically appropriate.**
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Things you need to know
** For eligible hospital members who have served waiting periods. Treating doctor must consider it appropriate. Services are subject to provider availability. Providers are not located in all areas and may change without notice. Additional treatment may incur out-of-pocket costs.
While we hope you find this information helpful, please note that it is general in nature. It is not health advice, and is not tailored to meet your individual health needs. You should always consult a trusted health professional before making decisions about your health care. While we have prepared the information carefully, we can’t guarantee that it is accurate, complete or up-to-date. And while we may mention goods or services provided by others, we aren’t specifically endorsing them and can’t accept responsibility for them. For these reasons we are unable to accept responsibility for any loss that may be sustained from acting on this information (subject to applicable consumer guarantees).