Olympic gold medalist Ranomi Kromowidjojo felt a strong camaraderie with athletes around the world during her swimming career.
Now, she is aiming to built that camaraderie for swimmers in all stages of their careers, even post-careers.
World Aquatics has appointed the three-time Olympic champion from the Netherlands as its first Athlete Engagement Director, a newly created senior leadership role.
In this position, Kromowidjojo will lead the full spectrum of athlete-facing services across World Aquatics, ensuring a supportive experience for athletes at every stage of their careers.
“I want athletes to feel like this organization has their back, from the start of their careers right through to what comes after,” Ranomi Kromowidjojo told Swimming World. “That means working with our Development and Sport Departments and our Athletes’ Committee to build on what we already offer, from scholarships and education around things like sleep and mental health to rewarding athletes through prize money and our Post-Career Transition Fund. One of the most important parts of my role will be making sure those programs are actually shaped by what athletes tell us they need, rather than decided for them.”
Kromowidjojo will oversee the development and management of World Aquatics’ athlete support systems. She will work closely with the Development and Sport Departments, and report directly to Executive Director Brent Nowicki.
Being a retired competitive swimmer of the highest level, Kromowidjojo understands the difficulties that go along with retiring from swimming an shifting gears in life.
I competed at my first World Championships back in 2007, in Melbourne, so I’ve watched this organization change a great deal over the years – from FINA to World Aquatics, and all the positive steps it’s taken since,” she said. “But even with that progress, there were things I felt as an athlete that stayed with me. You’re so locked into performance while competing that you rarely think about what comes after, until suddenly you’re there. Stepping away can be a real jolt, financially and otherwise. That’s why I think the Post-Career Transition Fund matters so much, tackling a gap I lived through myself. I also know not every athlete has equal access to good coaching or education, particularly from smaller federations, and that’s something our Scholarship and Support programs led by our Development and Athlete Services department are working to change.”
Kromowidjojo, who won 17 medals across her career at the World Aquatics Championships, claimed the 50 and 100 free double at London 2012 – among the three Olympic gold medals she won over the course of her career.
Since retiring in 2022, she has remained closely involved with the sport, most recently as a World Aquatics ambassador at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025.
“Ranomi has lived the athlete experience at the very highest level, and she understands first-hand what it takes to support athletes throughout their careers and beyond,” said World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam in a news release. “As we continue to strengthen our direct engagement with athletes, having someone of Ranomi’s calibre, credibility and lived experience leading this work sends a clear signal about how seriously we take that responsibility. I have no doubt she will make a real difference in the lives of athletes from all aquatic sports around the world.”
Kromowidjojo will begin her new role in October.
“World Aquatics covers six sports and athletes at completely different points in their careers, based all over the world with very different resources available to them. Getting support right for all of them, rather than a single approach that only really works for some, is going to take real listening. That’s the part I take most seriously,” Kromowidjojo said. “Watching an athlete come out the other side of their career and feel like the sport looked after them properly, not just while they were winning but afterwards too. I know first-hand what that support is worth, and helping make it the standard across every aquatic sport would mean a lot to me.”