Olympic gold medallist, three-time Olympian and highly respected coach Belinda Stowell OAM will join the speaker line-up for the 2026 SheSails International Conference on Monday 19 October, 7pm (AEDT).

Belinda has made an extraordinary contribution to Australian sailing, both on the water and from the coach boat.

At the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Belinda and Jenny Armstrong made history by winning gold in the Women’s 470, becoming the first Australian women to win an Olympic sailing medal and helping end Australia’s 28-year sailing gold medal drought.

After competing at two Olympic Games, Belinda turned her attention to coaching and developing the next generation of athletes. She later returned to competition for her third Olympic Games in 2012, an experience that further shaped her approach to supporting both athletes and coaches. She went on to spend 18 years as Head Coach of the Western Australian Institute of Sport Sailing Program, supporting sailors through multiple Olympic campaigns and helping develop some of Australia’s leading sailing talent.

Her contribution to the sport is also captured in the upcoming SheSails Shape of Wind film, a short film that follows a mother and daughter’s sailing journey and celebrates the people who have helped shape their experience along the way.

Today, Belinda continues to shape Australian high-performance sport as an AIS Coach Development Lead, supporting the next generation of coaches and helping create more opportunities for women to progress in high-performance coaching.

At this year’s SheSails International Conference, Belinda will reflect on her journey from Olympic athlete to coach and mentor, sharing the lessons, relationships and experiences that have shaped her career.

Her story strongly reflects this year’s Give to Gain theme, demonstrating the impact that sharing knowledge, supporting others and creating opportunities can have on the generations that follow.

Join Belinda and an inspiring line-up of speakers for an evening celebrating the women shaping the future of sailing. CLICK HERE to register and secure your place. 

Stay tuned as we announce more speakers and conference details over the coming weeks via www.shesails.org.au and the SheSails Facebook and Instagram channel.