Former Olympic Swimmer Hayley Lewis Quietly Trades Spotlight for Shopfront and Family Life

Hayley Lewis, once one of Australia’s most prominent swimmers, has largely stepped out of the public eye and now runs a small gift and homewares store in Brisbane while focusing on family life. The 51-year-old, who won two Olympic medals across three Olympic Games and was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1997, has not returned to the high-profile media work she did in the 2010s.

Lewis rose to national attention as a 15-year-old swimming prodigy and went on to a decorated international career. After retiring from elite competition, she remained a familiar face on Australian television and served as host of The Biggest Loser Australia from 2010 until 2014. Her television profile faded after that period, and she now leads a low-key life in Brisbane with her husband, childhood sweetheart Greg Taylor, and their two sons.

Lewis married Taylor in 1997. Their elder son, Jacob, is 24, and their younger son, Kai, is 21. Kai was part of the Australian team that won a silver medal in the 4x100-metre freestyle relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics, extending the family’s connection to elite swimming.

Outside of sport, Lewis operates Coming Up Roses, a gift and homewares store in the Balmoral area of Brisbane. The shop’s offerings include eclectic homewares and collectibles, and it has become the focus of her regular week. The shift to retail and a private life represents a marked change from the decades in which she was regularly in the media spotlight.

Lewis’s career in the pool was notable for its early peak and longevity. She first came to prominence in the 1990s and was recognized by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1997 for her contributions to swimming. Her two Olympic medals came amid a career that included participation across three separate Olympic Games, and she retained a public profile through television work after leaving competitive swimming.

Since stepping away from national television in 2014, Lewis has made only occasional public appearances. She maintains a presence in her local community in Brisbane and has focused on family and small-business work rather than pursuing further high-profile media roles. Her son’s Olympic success in 2024 briefly renewed broader public attention on the family, underscoring the continuity between Lewis’s sporting legacy and the next generation.

Lewis’s transition from elite athlete and television presenter to small-business owner and mother reflects a pattern seen among former sports stars who choose to retreat from national headlines while remaining connected to their communities. Her current life centers on the shop and family in Brisbane, while her record in the pool and induction into the national hall of fame remain part of Australia’s sporting history.