Young Alumnus of the Year

On a peaceful New South Wales Northern Rivers family property, a young girl dreamed of swimming for Australia. Today, that same girl - Moesha Johnson - is an Olympic silver medallist, a two-time world champion in open water swimming, and now, Southern Cross University 2025 Young Alumnus of the Year

The Alumni Impact Award is a full-circle moment, recognising Moesha’s determination and athletic prowess, as well as the community that helped raise her and believe in her from day one. “To be out of my biomedical science degree for a number of years now and still be part of Southern Cross, it just shows you that you might only be at uni for three years, but you’re part of that community for life,” she says, visibly moved. 

The past 18 months have been nothing short of extraordinary for Moesha, who went from being a relative newcomer on the Dolphins national team, to surging to the pinnacle of world swimming.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the underdog stunned the world by clinching silver in the brutal Open Water Marathon in the turbulent, murky River Seine, just one week after placing sixth in the pool in the 1500m freestyle final.  “I’d never won an individual international medal before,” Moesha reflects, “so to pull it off at an Olympics, it’s something really incredible. I’m very proud of that.” 

In July 2025 in Singapore, she claimed a second consecutive World Championship gold in open water swimming, this time as an individual medallist having tasted relay victory at Doha the previous year. But the podiums and roaring Parisian crowds are not what drive her most.  “The real special part is coming home. Sharing it with your swimming club, your family and the people who’ve seen you grow from the very beginning, that’s what really stays with me.” 

“It’s the Northern Rivers that grounds me,” she shares. “When I come home to Mum and Dad's place - to the horses, the veggie patch, the ducks and chooks - it brings me back to who I really am.” This grounding, she says, was essential amid the intensity of Olympic competition.

“In the final laps, I knew I had a medal secured and I just kept telling myself, stay calm, it’s not over" 

Before Olympic glory, Moesha was part of the Southern Cross University Elite Student Athlete Program, balancing full-time study with demanding training sessions and national competitions. While most athletes spread their studies over a decade, she finished in just three and a half years, graduating in 2019 among the University’s first biomedical science graduates.

“It was really hard,” she admits. “but it gave me security. I came into high-performance sport knowing I had something to fall back on.” 

A big part of that stability came from the university and local community. She was a recipient of the Summerland Bank Scholarship, a lifeline during tough times. “Having the Summerland Bank scholarship behind me throughout my degree, it meant the world. When things were hard, it gave me confidence that someone else believed in me.” 

Unlike many in her sport, Moesha didn’t burst onto the international scene as a teenager. Her rise was later, and often underestimated. “People thought making my first team might be the peak,” she says. “But I knew I had more to give.” 

That quiet determination shaped her entire career, one she describes as “owning my own journey.” 

“I wasn’t on the traditional path. But I hope people see that if you don’t fit the box, and you still have a dream, it can be done.” Even her scientific passion, rooted in biomedical science, now intersects with her sport. “In open water, water quality is a big deal. So when they talk about bacteria cultures and tests, I can say, ‘Yeah, I did that in uni!’” she laughs. “It just makes me a bit more 
professional.” 

Moesha recognises that the 2025 Young Alumnus of the Year Award is an important platform, one she will use to show regional students and athletes that they belong in every room, even on the world stage. 

“Going to a small university like Southern Cross was the best thing for me,” she says. “It was less intimidating. I don’t know if I would’ve even gone to uni otherwise.”

As for what’s next, Moesha is planning a quieter season to prepare for her long-term goal: Los Angeles 2028.  “Yes, I will always chase gold. But there’s more to my sport than that. I’ve learned to value the little wins too. A coach once told me: stop, look at what you’ve achieved. It’s advice I live by now.” 

From the gentle rhythm of life on the Tweed and science labs of Southern Cross to the world’s grandest sporting stage, Moesha Johnson has never forgotten where she came from. She is a swimmer, scientist, regional success story and role model. Moesha is a reminder that humble confidence and community support can propel you to greatness. 

As she stood on that Olympic podium, silver medal around her neck, Eiffel Tower in the distance, one thought rang loud and clear: She did it. And she did it her way with the Northern Rivers and Southern Cross behind her, every stroke of the way