Nicki Coleman rapid rise to the world stage

For Australian vaulter Nicki Coleman, one performance at the Sydney Royal Easter Show was all it took to change the direction of her sporting career.

After finishing a dance class in 2021, Coleman watched members of the Nexus Vaulting Team perform and was immediately captivated by the unique blend of gymnastics, artistry and horsemanship.

"I was finishing dancing when I saw my future Nexus teammates perform at the Easter Show," Coleman said.

"The combination of gymnastics, performance and horses immediately caught my attention, and it stayed with me."

Although she had previously tried horse riding and cheerleading, Coleman couldn't shake the idea of vaulting. She attended a come-and-try day at a club more than two hours from home before eventually discovering a club in Arcadia, where she now trains alongside her commitments with the Nexus team.

"It took a bit of persistence to actually get onto a horse, but the pull of that first performance stuck with me the whole way through," she said.

Coleman's background in dance and self-taught gymnastics gave her a strong foundation, but vaulting introduced an entirely new challenge.

"Body awareness, flexibility and performance quality all helped," she said.

"But vaulting asked for something completely new, learning to execute those same skills on a moving, unstable surface, and learning to move in harmony with the horse rather than against it.

"That partnership with the horse was the biggest thing I had to learn from scratch."

Just a few years after taking up the sport, Coleman has progressed to Advanced/CVI2* level and earned selection to represent Australia at the FEI World Championships in Aachen.

Rather than one defining breakthrough, she credits consistent training, competition and the support of those around her for her rapid rise.

"I don't think there was one single turning point," she said.

"It came from consistently training, competing and building on each experience.

"I've always been motivated by seeing what I can improve next, and being surrounded by experienced coaches and teammates has pushed me to progress faster."

Despite being one of the newer members of Australia's World Championships squad, Coleman has embraced the opportunity to learn from those around her.

"It has been both exciting and a little daunting to step into that environment so early in my career," she said.

"I'm surrounded by teammates who have much more experience, and learning from them has pushed me to grow faster than I probably would have on my own.

"There is a real sense of being supported and lifted by the more experienced vaulters, which has helped me feel that I belong there."

Receiving the opportunity to wear the green and gold at a World Championships is the fulfilment of a long-held ambition.

"There's something about seeing the Australian uniform at competitions that has always stayed with me," she said.

"I remember thinking, 'that's what I want to wear one day.'

"To have that ambition become a reality at a World Championships is honestly a bit surreal. It is the culmination of years of training and a real privilege to carry the green and gold into the arena in Aachen."

While the chance to compete on the world stage is special, Coleman says one moment in particular is already etched in her mind.

"What I'm most looking forward to is the moment we exit the arena and get to celebrate our own story," she said.

"Of course, we'll go in believing in ourselves and wanting to perform at our best, but winning has never been the main goal.

"For us, simply earning the opportunity to represent Australia on the world stage is already something incredibly special.

"I think walking out of the arena together, knowing everything we have overcome and achieved to get there, will be an amazing feeling."

Coleman is also eager to experience international vaulting firsthand, having never watched the sport live outside Australia.

"I'm really excited to watch some of the best vaulters in the world compete in person," she said.

"It will be an incredible experience."

Among her career highlights so far, one performance stands above the rest. At her first international-standard competition, the CVI1* in April 2024, Coleman delivered a personal-best freestyle score despite having to change horses at the last minute after her own horse went lame.

"What made it especially meaningful was the adversity behind it," she said.

"Producing a personal best under that pressure is something I'm genuinely proud of, and it showed me that I could adapt and perform even when things didn't go to plan."

Away from the arena, Coleman works behind the scenes in event operations, coordinating major music festivals, concerts and sporting events.

"Most people who see me competing probably don't realise that during the week I'm usually behind the scenes helping events run smoothly for thousands of people," she said.

"Balancing that career with training can be challenging, but the two worlds complement each other.

"I'm especially excited to experience Aachen both as a competitor and through the eyes of someone who understands what goes into delivering an event of that scale.”