Zali Steggall

Biography

Zali Steggall is a notable Australian politician, lawyer, and former Olympic athlete born in Manly, New South Wales in 1974. She grew up in France and started skiing at a young age while living in the French Alps. Steggall won European age championships at the ages of 10 and 13 and was a member of the French junior skiing team at the age of 14.

Steggall made her Olympic debut in Albertville in 1992 at the age of 17, and although she did not place in the events, she continued to compete. In 1998, she won Australia’s first individual Winter Olympic medal with a bronze in slalom skiing at Nagano. She followed up this success with a World Championship gold medal in the slalom event in 1999.

Steggall’s Olympic career extended from Albertville in 1992 to Salt Lake City in 2002, and she retired from skiing after the latter games. She then completed a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media Studies from Griffith University and studied law. In 2008, Steggall was admitted as a solicitor while working for her father’s legal practice, Roper & Steggall, in Manly, New South Wales.

Steggall has since turned her attention to politics and was elected as an independent member for Warringah in the 2019 Australian federal election, defeating the incumbent former Prime Minister Tony Abbott. She is known for her advocacy for climate change action and has introduced a climate change bill to parliament. Steggall’s background as an Olympic athlete has given her a platform to raise awareness of climate change and its impact on winter sports.