Having competed at three Olympic and Paralympic Games before moving behind the microphone, Susie now has a unique perspective on sport, storytelling and the city she has called home since she was a baby.

We caught up with Susie about what makes a great interview, the opportunities social media creates for women in sport, and why Brisbane 2032 could be an opportunity to show the world what makes Brisbane different.

Brisbane has been home through so many chapters of your life – from elite athlete to media personality. How has your relationship with the city evolved over the years?

I was born in Mackay, but I moved to Brisbane when I was about six months old, so I’ve always considered myself a Brisbane girl.

It wasn’t until I moved away to Sydney and Melbourne that I really realised how good Brisbane is and how much I loved it. I love the blue skies, the weather and, especially, the friendliness of the people.

Brisbane just has an amazing lifestyle. It’s easy to get around, people are friendly and there’s a real sense of warmth.

And now, with the Olympics and Paralympics coming, I still can’t believe there’s going to be a Games in the city I grew up in. I feel so excited and lucky that I’m from Brisbane and that I’ll be here to experience it.

You’ve gone from being the person in front of the camera to being the person asking the questions. What have you learned about storytelling from being on both sides of the microphone?

I’m still learning. I work alongside Luttsy on Nova, who I think is one of the best interviewers I know, because he talks to people like they’re his friends. He builds rapport really quickly and makes people feel comfortable.

That’s something I’m trying to do – talk to people like you would talk to a friend. It makes the conversation feel less pressured and more natural.

I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Luttsy better this year, particularly because we’ve done more things outside the radio around the Olympics and Paralympics. There’s a lot of trust there, and that’s important when you’re working in an environment where you can be quite vulnerable. We can tease each other and give each other a hard time, but we’ve got each other’s backs.

When you’re interviewing someone, what makes a great interview subject – and who has surprised you most?

Sporty Spice – Mel C – really surprised me.

Before the interview, we started talking about fitness because we’re around the same age and she was doing weights. We got onto fitness, menopause, bones and all those things that come with being 50 pretty quickly, which helped break the ice.

But she was also incredibly generous. Sometimes when you interview people, they’ve done five interviews that day and they’re a bit jaded. Mel was one of the most famous people I’ve ever interviewed, but she was probably one of the most generous with her time and the most giving.

Locally I also really liked Brisbane chef Alastair McLeod. I’ve done some functions with him and he’s excellent – he has such great energy and makes everything feel really fun.

Athletes can now build their own platforms rather than relying solely on traditional media. What opportunities does that create, particularly for women in sport?

Overall I think it’s really good, although it can be good and bad.

I’m quite happy social media wasn’t around when I was swimming because I think it would have been another thing you had to think about all the time.

But the positive is that athletes have much more control over their own identity. They can be creative, do things differently and aren’t as reliant on whether mainstream media chooses to give them coverage.

You also get to know the athlete more as a personality, rather than just seeing them as a one-dimensional sports person. I follow swimmers like Cate Campbell and Bronte Campbell on social media and you get to know them as people.

It can also create more business and commercial opportunities, which is a real advantage.

Having experienced a Games as an athlete, what do you think you’ll notice or appreciate differently when Brisbane hosts in 2032?

I’m hoping that, like Sydney, the friendliness of Australians – and especially Brisbane people – really comes across.

I remember the feeling of Sydney and how much the athletes were embraced by the city. I hope that’s what happens in Brisbane.

I’ve been to a lot of other Olympics and Paralympics as an official and in the media, and I think London in 2012 was quite similar. But Brisbane is different. People here are really embracing and friendly.

Obviously, I hope everything runs well logistically and all the boxes are ticked, but the X-factor is the public. It’s the people embracing the Games and being friendly – being like a big warm hug to all the athletes who come here.

What do you think the city gets right today, and what would you still like to see change?

I’m really looking forward to the new stadiums, particularly Victoria Park and the National Aquatic Centre.

I’d also like to see public transport get a little better. I’d love to see more trains to the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast because, with some of the events, that could be amazing.

We’re going to see a lot of new people and a lot of new infrastructure coming to the city, so hopefully a lot of that will improve.

What would you like the rest of the world to understand about Brisbane?

We’re just good people. We’re friendly and welcoming.

People will say hello to you when you’re walking down the street. We don’t take ourselves too seriously.

We can be sophisticated when we need to be, we can get things done, but we’re also relaxed, good fun and friendly.

I think Brisbane is small enough that the whole city will really feel like an Olympic and Paralympic city.

LA will be spectacular on television in 2028, but I don’t think the whole city will necessarily feel like it’s an Olympic city. In Brisbane, I think the entire city can get behind it and feel part of it.

Hopefully people realise that about us.

Four minutes in a pool took years of preparation. What did elite sport teach you about pressure, setbacks and staying focused that still influences you today?

For me, it’s about consistency.

It’s doing the boring, monotonous stuff every single day, over and over again. I’ve carried that through into other parts of my life, even when I was working in bookkeeping and looking after my husband’s business.

I’ve always tried to be consistent rather than having really big peaks and troughs. I think that’s what made me a good swimmer, and ultimately that consistency brings results.

On a personal note

Best business or professional advice you were ever given? 

My husband always says, “If you cut too many corners, you end up going around in circles.”

It’s something I used a lot during my swimming career, and I still like it.

Best business book or podcast?

I don’t really have one. I take little bits from lots of different things rather than one particular source.

I’m a bit of a bandit for Instagram, which is probably problematic, but there’s actually a lot of good advice on there. I like looking at successful people and seeing what they do and how they approach things.

I also listen to Mark Bouris and his podcasts.

One thing I’ve learned is that most successful people are actually pretty normal. I got that feeling from interviewing Mel C, too. She’s one of the biggest stars in the world, but she was just a really normal person.

When I was growing up, I thought people who won gold medals must be these extraordinary, almost freakish people. But they’re not. They’re just normal humans who have different talents and different aptitudes for working towards something.

Favourite Brisbane bar or restaurant?

It would have to be Julius in South Brisbane.

It can be hard to get into and I don’t like lining up, so I don’t always get there. But if I could just walk into any restaurant, that would be the one.

What’s your dream headline about Brisbane in 2032?

Best Games Ever.