Nikki Dryden

Sport has always shaped my life.

Growing up in a family of elite athletes and PE teachers, I believed sport could bring out the best in people. As a two-time Olympian, I experienced both its extraordinary opportunities and the harm that can exist beneath the surface of high-performance systems.

I qualified as a lawyer in 2005, before sport and human rights was recognised as a field. Rather than wait for the profession to catch up, I helped build it, combining my experience as an athlete with legal advocacy, strategic leadership and governance reform.

Today, I am a dual-qualified lawyer, experienced non-executive director and sport governance, integrity and safeguarding expert with more than 20 years legal experience across Australian and international sport, law and business.

As an inaugural Director and former Co-Chair of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, I helped guide its strategic development, governance and executive oversight. My broader experience includes senior roles at PwC, Sport Integrity Australia and Palladium, advising on complex legal, regulatory and organisational challenges.

In 2021, I helped lead the evacuation of more than 80 Afghan female athletes and their families to Australia, bringing together my experience in sport, law, crisis response and human rights advocacy.

Today, through Game Integrity and my broader legal and advisory work, I support sporting organisations, boards and senior leaders to strengthen governance, manage risk, build organisational capability and create safer, more inclusive and accountable sporting environments.

I believe sports long-term success depends on strong leadership, ethical governance and trusted systems that protect people while enabling performance excellence.