Leisel Jones: Life, Weight Loss & Radio Career

Few Australian athletes have navigated the transition from pool champion to public life quite like Leisel Jones. Her most recent chapter isn’t about medals — it’s about a difficult, honest conversation about her marriage ending, her body changing, and what comes next.

Olympic medals won: 9 · World Championship titles: 7 · Year of birth: 1985 · Current role: Co-host Triple M Gold Breakfast · Marital status: Separated from Damon Martin (2024)

Is Leisel Jones still married to Damon Martin?

No, Leisel Jones and Damon Martin have separated as of 2024. She announced the split publicly in an emotional live broadcast on her radio show, Rush Hour with Leisel Jones, Liam and Dobbo, on Triple M.

When did Leisel Jones announce her split?

Jones confirmed the end of her marriage in what she called an “incredibly sad” announcement on air. She told listeners that many might have already suspected something was wrong because she had stopped mentioning Martin on the show months earlier. Jones described the breakup as a “very sad announcement” and said she was “out in the wilderness on [her] own.” A later report from The Australian Women’s Weekly suggested the split occurred in 2023, though Jones’s own public timeline anchors the public disclosure in 2024.

Who is Damon Martin?

Damon Martin is Jones’s former husband. They were married in 2014. Martin has largely stayed out of the public eye, and Jones has kept details of their private life — including the reasons for the split — mostly to herself. What’s clear: the marriage ended, and Jones addressed it frankly on air because she felt listeners deserved to know why her personal tone had shifted.

The implication: The public nature of the announcement — made during a work shift — signals that Jones intends to integrate her real-life changes directly into her media persona rather than keeping them behind a privacy wall.

Does Leisel Jones have children?

No, Leisel Jones does not have children as of October 2024. She has spoken candidly about the fact that she is 38 — and soon 39 — and worries she may have “missed the window” to become a mother. In the same on-air discussion where she confirmed her separation, Jones acknowledged the emotional weight of that timeline, particularly as a woman of childbearing age facing the end of a marriage.

How many children does Leisel Jones have?

• Jones has zero children as of 2024 (The Australian Women’s Weekly)

What this means: For someone who spent her 20s and early 30s training at elite levels, the question of children isn’t casual. Jones’s frankness about wanting kids and feeling the biological pressure is one of the more vulnerable dimensions of her recent interviews.

What is Leisel Jones doing now?

After retiring from competitive swimming, Jones built a second career that spans radio, public speaking, writing, and mental health advocacy. She is currently a co-host on Triple M Gold Breakfast, a role she took on after her previous afternoon show on Triple M Brisbane was restructured following her breakup.

What is Leisel Jones’ job?

Here is a breakdown of Jones’s current professional roles:

Is Leisel Jones a speaker and author?

Yes. Jones published her autobiography, Body Lengths, in 2014. She is also a sought-after public speaker who talks openly about the pressures of elite sport, body image, and mental health. She has become an activist in the mental health space, particularly around the challenges athletes face after retirement.

Where is Leisel Jones based now?

Jones is based on the Gold Coast, where she co-hosts Triple M Gold Breakfast (The Australian Women’s Weekly).

Is Leisel Jones a comedian?

No. She is a radio host and public speaker. Her sense of humour is often noted in her media appearances, but she does not identify as a comedian.

How many Olympic medals has Leisel Jones won?

She has won nine Olympic medals: three gold, five silver, and one bronze (Wikipedia).

The pattern: Jones has deliberately avoided the standard ex-athlete path of becoming a commentator or coach. Instead, she has moved into lifestyle media and advocacy — a choice that keeps her relevant but on her own terms.

How did Leisel Jones lose weight?

Jones has been open about using medically-assisted weight loss to shed 25 kilograms. She described the decision as difficult and said it initially felt like “cheating.” She made the disclosure during an appearance on Sunrise, explaining that she had been working with Juniper, a women’s weight-loss program, and that PCOS made losing weight through diet and exercise alone extremely challenging.

Did Leisel Jones use medical weight loss?

Yes. Jones confirmed on Sunrise that she used medical weight loss support and lost 25 kilograms (Now To Love). She said that while part of her felt like it was a shortcut, she ultimately reframed it as “assistance to help establish good habits” rather than a crutch. Jones also disclosed that she struggled with high liver enzymes and subclinical hypothyroidism — conditions that affected her metabolism (Sunrise / YouTube).

What did Leisel Jones say about her weight loss?

Jones told Sunrise that using medical support initially felt like cheating, but she later saw it as help to establish good habits (Now To Love). She also mentioned that turning 40 was a milestone that prompted her to take action, telling Daily Mail Australia that “something changed” when she hit that birthday and she decided to prioritize her health.

The trade-off: Medical weight loss remains a polarizing topic in Australia, particularly for elite athletes who are expected to embody “natural” discipline. By openly framing her choice as medical necessity rather than vanity, Jones has effectively neutralized much of the criticism — while also validating the experience of women with PCOS.

Newly-single former Olympian Leisel Jones opens up about dating after marriage

Since her separation, Jones has been candid about the prospect of dating again. She told media that she is embracing single life after a decade of marriage and is open to meeting someone new — though she is not rushing into anything.

Who is Leisel Jones dating?

As of late 2024, Jones has not publicly confirmed a new partner. She has stated she is dating but is taking things slowly. The uncertainty around her romantic life is intentional — she has said that after a long marriage, she wants to enjoy her own company before committing to another serious relationship.

How does Leisel Jones feel about dating?

Jones told 9Now that she is 38, single, and feels she may have missed the window for children but is excited to figure out who she is as a single person (9Now / Nine Celebrity).

The catch: Jones is navigating the dating world in the public eye — at 38, after a high-profile marriage, and as someone known for her competitive discipline. The question is whether she will find a partner who is comfortable with her fame and her very public life.

Timeline

• 2000 — Competed at the Sydney Olympics at age 15 (Wikipedia)
• 2008 — Won two gold medals at the Beijing Olympics (Wikipedia)
• 2014 — Married Damon Martin
• 2024 — Announced separation from Damon Martin on Triple M (9Now / Nine Celebrity)
• 2024 — Revealed medical weight loss journey on Sunrise (Now To Love)
• 2024 — Started co-hosting Triple M Gold Breakfast (The Australian Women’s Weekly)

What’s confirmed and what’s unclear

We’ve separated the verified facts from the areas where information is still incomplete.

Like many Australian media personalities navigating public life, Leisel Jones’s story echoes Kate Ritchies own career and weight loss journey in its blend of personal transformation and professional reinvention.

Frequently asked questions

For Jones, the choice is clear: she can either let her legacy be defined solely by the medals she won before turning 25, or she can keep building a new identity — as a radio host, a woman navigating middle age on her own terms, and an advocate for mental health. So far, she is choosing the latter. For other elite Australian athletes facing retirement, the lesson is pragmatic: the transition is harder than the races, but it’s also the race worth winning.