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Minerva Mentor and two-time Olympian Julia Bell OLY and Minerva Athlete and Paralympic champion Vanessa Low OAM have been appointed to national sporting boards, bringing high-performance athlete insight and leadership to the governance of Australian sport.
Minerva Network congratulates Julia Bell OLY on herappointment to the Rowing Australia Board and Vanessa Low PLY on herappointment to the Australian Athletics Board.
These appointments reflect a growing recognition across sport that athletes who have performed at the highest level have a great deal to offer in the boardroom, from leadership, strategy and athlete welfare to the long-term growth of their sport.
Julia is a two-time Olympian and dual World Champion rower. Since retiring from elite competition, she has built a business career spanning strategy, operations, transformation and organisational leadership, while continuing to give her time to athletes and the wider sporting community.
Julia credits her sport with shaping both her life and her career.
“Rowing has given me so much over the years, far beyond the medals and incredible experiences. It has shaped who I am and taught me invaluable skills that I continue to draw on in my business career: leadership, resilience, the power of a champion team and the importance of ahigh-performance culture in achieving success.”
As a Minerva Mentor, Julia is helping other sportswomen build their leadership capability, and she has been an active participant in the Minerva Sports Governance Program. An Australian Institute of Company Directors graduate, Julia joins the Rowing Australia Board with a valuable combination of skills: a first-hand understanding of high-performance sport, together with the governance, strategy and stakeholder experience to help shape the future of Australian rowing.
Vanessa is one of Australia’s most accomplished Paralympians, a multiple Paralympic gold medallist and world champion whose influence reaches well beyond the track.
In announcing her appointment, Australian Athletics pointed to her leadership qualities, depth of experience and the athlete perspective she will bring to board decision-making.
“I’m honoured to join the Australian Athletics Board,” Vanessa said.
“Athletics has given me so much over 17 years, and I want to help make sure the sport gives every athlete, at every level, the same opportunities it gave me.
“This is a huge moment for athletics in Australia. With unification, a new broadcast partnership and a home Games in Brisbane 2032 on the horizon, we have a real chance to grow the sport from the grassroots up.
“I can’t wait to play my part.”
Julia and Vanessa’s appointments are part of a broader movement towards stronger representation and capability on Australian sporting boards. Minerva Sports Governance Program Lead Belinda Rowe praised the depth of talent within the Minerva community.
“Julia and Vanessa bring exactly the mix of experiencesporting boards need – they understand high-performance sport from the inside,and they’ve built the leadership skills to help guide it,” Belinda said.
“Our role is to make sure women like Julia and Vanessa are ready, connected and supported when these opportunities come up. Seeing these two members of our community step onto national boards is incredibly rewarding, and we know there are many more women in our network ready to follow.”
Minerva’s Sports Governance Program is committed to buildinga strong pipeline of experienced, highly capable women ready to step intosports board and committee roles, bringing leadership, strategic expertise andathlete-informed perspectives to help shape the future of Australian sport.
The program’s strength comes from the experience behind it.
Minerva’s recent Sports Leadership Series event Sports Boards Playing to Win Well, brought together a panel of experienced sports governance leaders: sports lawyer and Queensland Cricket director Juanita Maiden; Gymnastics Queensland director Kerri Griffiths; Brisbane Broncos director and former Australian Diamonds Netball captain Vicki Wilson, and Minerva NSW Co-Chair and Sports Governance Lead Belinda Rowe, with broadcaster and Venues NSW and Volleyball NSW director Stephanie Brantz steering the discussion. Speaking to current and aspiring directors, the panel shared what winning looks like in the boardroom, where it can go wrong, and what to ask before joining a board – the practical, hard-won insight that sits at the heart of Minerva’s governance program.
In 2026, the Minerva Network and the Australian Sports Commission launched the new Minerva Sports Governance Mentoring Program. The 12-month program supports newly appointed women and gender diverse directors on national sporting organisation boards, pairing each participant with an experienced Minerva mentor to help them build confidence, understand board dynamics and make the most of their contribution.
The new program’s first intake is now underway. This initiative builds on Minerva’s established mentoring model and its existing Sports Governance Program, which already supports hundreds of women in developing their governance skills and pursuing board roles.
As Australian sport prepares for a home Olympic and Paralympic Games, it needs experienced, diverse and capable leaders more than ever. Minerva is proud to help build that pipeline, supporting women as they move from elite competition, professional careers and community leadership into governance roles where their expertise can make a meaningful difference.
Congratulations to Julia and Vanessa. We look forward to following their impact at the board table – and to seeing many more Minerva women join them.
