Southern Cross Uni alumna Moesha Johnson claims silver at Paris 2024

Moesha led the breakaway pack for majority of the spectacular race in the River Seine, with her training partner Sharon van Rouwendaal from the Netherlands taking the leads in the final stretch to claim gold with a time of 2:03:34.2. 

Moesha, 26, made her Olympic debut last week in the 1500m freestyle event, coming in sixth behind USA’s Katie Ledecky.

Her Open Water silver medal in the heart of Paris makes her Australia’s second-ever Olympic medallist in the gruelling event.

Tweed Heads local Moesha studied biomedical science at Southern Cross University Gold Coast campus, supported through Southern Cross University’s Elite Student Athlete Program and working as a student ambassador. She proudly represented Team SCU at the UniSport Nationals on multiple occasions.

Before heading to Paris Moesha said she couldn’t wait for Australians to fall in love with the spectacle that blends endurance and strategy.

“It’s a tactical choice, when to fuel and when to make moves,” she said. “You have waves pushing you and everyone is on top of each other. It’s absolutely chaotic.”

Her curiosity about human health was behind her decision to study a Bachelor of Biomedical Science.

Supported by a Summerland Bank Rising Star scholarship, Moesha was among the first Biomedical graduates from Southern Cross University (Gold Coast) in 2019.

“I was the first in my family to go to university,” she said. “With the scholarship, I felt like I had an extended support network, beyond my family.”

“It’s truly special when people believe in you before you’re a champion. To have people notice you when you feel smaller, words can’t describe what that means.”

Her silver medal in the pool at the World University Games, in the final year of her degree, was a major turning point.

“It confirmed for me, that’s what I wanted to do,” she said. “But being a student athlete is really tough.”

“I wouldn’t be able to say today that I am a swimmer if I hadn’t had that support from Southern Cross University and my scholarship.

“The pressures would have pushed me out of the sport.

“I’m doing it for myself and the ones who believed in me all those years ago, when I didn’t necessarily believe in myself. That support will mean more to me in Paris than it ever has.”

This humble athlete then wants nothing more than to celebrate on Australian soil surrounded by her family and farm animals, enjoy a local coffee and a dip at Kirra.

“I want to say, ‘You believed in me then, and look! I’m here now. I’ve done it!”