Au revoir: Dual Olympian signs off on stellar career

IT was an epic moment that captured the swimming world’s attention and for Jenna Strauch (pictured third from the right) it was the perfect culmination to celebrate her Dolphins’ career.

The athlete leader officially called time on her international swimming career today after the world-class breaststroker signed off on her six years with the Australian team as part of a wild finale to the Paris 2024 Olympic program.

In the last event of the swimming program at La Defense Arena, Strauch and her teammates in the women’s 4x100m medley – Kaylee McKeown, Emma McKeon and Mollie O’Callaghan, snared a silver medal and then celebrated by jumping in the pool while wearing their tracksuits.

 “I didn’t know it at the time, but that moment was a perfect end to my career,” Strauch said.

“It was a moment of pure joy and to be with some of my best friends … after winning a silver medal that I never dreamed of, well that was a perfect sign-off.”

 After taking up swimming at the age of 11 at Bendigo East Swimming Club, primarily as a way of having fun with her friends, the daughter of former Carlton AFL player Dean Strauch, found herself loving the competitive side of the sport.

“In 2012, my family made an incredible sacrifice for me to pursue my swimming dreams. My mum, Jane, and my brothers, Ryan and Tom, left our home in Bendigo to move to Melbourne so I could train with Melbourne Vicentre and attend Korowa Anglican Girls’ School,” Strauch said.

“My dad stayed behind to work and travelled on weekends to be with us. Their unwavering support and selflessness gave me the opportunity to chase my goals, and I will always be grateful for the sacrifices they made.”

Strauch quickly found herself competing at the World Junior Championships.

But she then became ill from parasites and was forced to take well over a year out of the pool. 

Recovering in 2015, Strauch made the move from Melbourne to train on the Gold Coast in 2016, with Richard Scarce at Bond University and later Miami Swimming Club and under his guidance she forced her way into the Dolphins side for the World Short Course Swimming titles in China in 2018.  

A year later she secured her first open national title in the 200m breaststroke and was selected for the Gwangju World Swimming Championships in South Korea, where she made it through to the semi-finals.

Then at the Tokyo Olympic trials in Adelaide she swam “tough”, holding herself together after placing third in the 100m breaststroke, to dominate the 200m breaststroke, recording a personal best time. In her Olympic debut in Tokyo, she qualified as 10th fastest.

Her major breakthrough came at the Budapest World Swimming Championships in 2022, when she collected the first individual medal of her career, a silver in the 200m breaststroke.

She also claimed a silver for her role in the 4x100m medley relay.  A few weeks later, she again featured on the podium, winning silver in the 200m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham behind reigning Olympic champion Tatjana Smith (nee Schoenmaker) of South Africa. She also reached the finals of the 50m and 100m events.  

Strauch, who graduated from Bond University with a Bachelor of Biomedical Science in 2019, was forced to withdraw from the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, with a knee injury.  

However, on her return to the pool she picked up a slew of medals at World Cup Swimming meets before again dominating breaststroke events in Australia. At the Queensland championships in December 2023, Strauch won gold in the 100m and 200m breaststroke. 

She repeated the performance at the NSW titles in March 2024 and at the Australian Swimming Championships in April, she collected a full set of gold medals – 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke and 200m breaststroke.  

Strauch, 28, finished her career with 13 international podiums and today Swimming Australia and Dolphins head coach Rohan Taylor paid tribute to the experienced athlete leader who will continue to sit on the athletes’ commission.

Taylor said: “I’ve known Jenna (Strauch) since she was a talented age group swimmer, and I saw the challenges she had to go through to remerge as the athlete we all know now.” 

“Just watching her develop as a person and a leader … Jenna is a success story of resilience and professionalism and her influence lives on in the Dolphins leadership group. The Dolphins have been so fortunate to benefit from her leadership and I know whether in an official role or otherwise, Jenna will continue to mentor the next generation.

“On a personal note, I was thrilled to see her finish her career with an Olympic silver medal in Paris and celebrate the way she did with her close friends and teammates – it was just a wonderful moment to witness.”  

The humble dual Olympian, who has a wedding planned in August, is set to make a splash in her post swimming life as a senior health consultant.

“I was fortunate to be part of Scyne Advisory’s Athlete Employment Program during my swimming career, which provided valuable experience and opportunities for professional growth,” she said.

“More recently, I joined FTI’s health consulting practice, where I am continuing to develop my expertise in the sector, working alongside a team of dedicated health professionals across Australia … so you could say I am more than ready for this next step!

“I’m proud of what I’ve achieved in swimming. I genuinely love the sport and I am so proud to be part of one of the most successful periods of swimming in Australia and I am proud of the people we have all become out of the pool as well.

“This team has evolved so much … and for me, this is the right time to see what else is out there.

“The medals and successes will be remembered but it’s the friendships, relationships, shared moments, and unwavering support in this sport that will stay with me forever. Swimming has shaped me in ways I never imagined, and I can only hope that my journey has left a meaningful mark on the sport and the people who have been part of it.”

As an 11-year-old, Strauch cherished a signed Meagen Nay swimming cap that had pride of place in the bedroom of the Bendigo youngster, foreshadowing a journey that Strauch herself still finds hard to fathom.

With the end of Dolphin #806 journey, Strauch is hoping other nine-year-old athletes will be inspired to find their own green and gold path.