Well over a century after Australian Annette Kellerman became a household name in America for her aquatic dance routines in a glass tank and daring one-piece bathing suit, another Aussie, artistic swimmer Zoe Poulis, has gained a global audience for her underwater dance performances.
When asked what she thinks the 165,000 followers on her Instagram account take from the images and vision of her in Neptune’s Garden, Zoe, hoped it was ‘inspiration.’
“When I first made the videos, I wasn’t thinking about people watching them,” said the 18-year-old, who’s described by her fanbase as a ‘mermaid’. “Something I’ve noticed is it does inspire people and more creativity.
“I also wanted to shed light on our sport. Artistic swimming needs as much attention as it can get, and I think what I’m doing on social media shows another side to it.
“Something I’ve realised when I look at my followers is that they’re random people, not just people who like artistic swimming. And they’re from all over the world. So, I like to think people enjoy it.”
Zoe’s post ‘Free flowing in the Great Barrier Reef’ which showcased her performing a solo dance in Queensland’s tropical north went viral last summer. While the attention is great, Zoe said it doesn’t compare to the excitement of becoming an Olympian.
“I’m overwhelmed with excitement,” she enthused.
“It’s hard to believe. Competing at the Olympic Games is something I’ve been looking forward to for so long. It always seemed so far away - but here it is.
“And to be doing it in Paris is incredible. To see the city come alive during the Olympics with athletes everywhere, people everywhere, an incredible atmosphere and colour is so exciting.”
Gold Coast-born Zoe, who competed in the solo event at her first Australian National Competition as a seven-year, revealed she stumbled across artistic swimming while doing swimming lessons.
“I saw the Gold Coast Mermaids training and became obsessed,” she said.
“I thought it was so cool how they threw their legs up in the air and did all this crazy stuff that required coordination, strength, and flexibility. So, I gave it a go and have never looked back.”
One treasured highlight of Zoe’s career was competing against her idol, the ‘Greek Goddess’ Evangelia Platanioti at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest.
“When I was starting out, I looked up to her,” said Zoe who boasts Greek heritage.
“It was incredible to swim my solo routine against Evangelia [at 16] because I’d admired her for as long as I could remember.”
However, Zoe’s Gold Coast Mermaids coach drilled a hunger and attitude into the Queenslander that ensured the last thought on her mind when she crossed paths with Platanioti was to request a selfie.
“Our Mermaids coach Marina Kholod loves to inspire us with the saying: ‘train until your idols become your rivals’ and that’s what happened: Platanioti became my rival,” she said.
Daniel Lane
