It’s a bittersweet farewell for the Olympic legend-turned-radio personality who stunned fans with her decision to hang up the headphones in November, revealing that it was a choice she grappled with for nearly a year.

After an illustrious journey in swimming, and now in radio, O’Neill is ready to pass the baton and embrace a new chapter.

Reflecting on her journey, she explains that the decision to leave Nova 106.9’s beloved breakfast show was spurred by her milestone birthday.

“Turning 50 was a big deal. The main thing for me was that I realised I’m definitely over halfway. And I thought to myself, ‘Now what? What do I want to do? What do I choose to do with the rest of my life?’” she says.

After months of reflection, O’Neill began to feel that her chapter in radio had naturally run its course. She felt a pull towards different things she wanted to explore, knowing she was lucky enough to have a choice.

“I feel like I’m not going to retire and do nothing. I’ve got to think about other things that I want to do. I’m not sure exactly what they are yet, but I think I’ll keep busy,” she says.

The discussions about her contract with Nova began about a year ago, but it wasn’t until Easter that she firmly decided this would be her final year.

“It was probably around Easter that I started deciding, because my contract was up at the end of this year. So I suppose they started talking to me about whether I was going to stay on,” she says.

As the contract discussions unfolded, O’Neill admits that the uncertainty made those last few months of work difficult, knowing her time with the Nova family might be coming to an end.

“That was sort of the more difficult time and the harder time to work, because I wasn’t sure what I was doing.”

When it came time to break the news to co-hosts Ash Bradnam and David “Luttsy” Lutteral, O’Neill’s nerves got the best of her.

“I get nervous and start giggling, which is awful because it looked like I didn’t care, but it was actually a really hard decision,” she says, laughing.

She had always valued her relationship with her co-hosts, and the support they showed her upon hearing the news only deepened her appreciation for the friendship they’d built.

“Ash and Luttsy are like brothers,” O’Neill says.

“We spend so much time together. We’ve seen each other at the worst of the worst and the best of the best.”

The Nova team and fans alike shared their sadness at her departure, calling in with emotional tributes.

“It was really humbling, I was actually surprised,” O’Neill reflects, revealing the shock she felt at the audience’s deep response.

“I’ve never really thought of myself as a radio broadcaster. I didn’t realise how much I’d been a part of people’s daily lives,” she adds, expressing a new-found understanding of her role in Brisbane’s mornings.

The reaction made O’Neill reflect on her own connection with radio.

“I remember being on the other side of that because I really remember when I was in Melbourne, listening to Kate Langbroek and Dave Hughes. They were like friends in my ear every day,” she says, noting the powerful impact radio voices have on listeners, even when they’ve never met.

O’Neill’s journey from Olympic gold medallist to morning show host was as unexpected for her as it was for listeners. Her initial appearance on Nova was supposed to be temporary – just a one-week fill-in while the show’s sports presenter Mitch Lewis was away on his honeymoon in 2013. But it quickly turned into a decade long journey after O’Neill officially became a permanent fixture in 2016.

“They just asked me to come and fill in for a week when Mitch went on his honeymoon, to do the sport. And they got three different girls, and all three of us are in media now,” she recalls, noting that it was a unique opportunity among future stars like Sally Pearson and Laura Geitz.

“But from the moment I was in the studio, I loved it,” O’Neill says.

“I loved the feeling. It reminded me a lot of the feeling I missed from swimming, sort of the excitement and nerves and the buzz. I remember thinking, ‘I love this.’”

Yet, her transition into radio was far from smooth, especially during her early days when public response was less than favourable.

“At the beginning, I got a lot of bad feedback. People didn’t like my voice on air,” O’Neill admits.

“They’d write articles about how people didn’t like my voice on air, and such and such was coming in to take my spot. And I remember I cried so much at the beginning.”

It was her co-hosts, Ash and Luttsy, who encouraged her to ignore the negativity.

“They were the main two people who were like, ‘No, just keep going, don’t listen to it, don’t read the comments,’” she says.

Her natural rapport with Ash and Luttsy made her fit seamlessly into the “boys’ club”, helping Nova 106.9 rise to the top of Brisbane’s competitive radio landscape.

“It was unplanned and not forced,” she recalls, describing the organic camaraderie that developed between the three of them.

Like following the familiar lines in the pool, her chemistry with Ash and Luttsy became a bedrock of the show, one that felt as instinctive as her racing days.

“We’d laugh, argue, support each other, and just have fun,” she says. “I think that’s why people kept listening.”

Over the years, radio became more than just a job; it became a source of solace for O’Neill, providing stability and camaraderie during some of her toughest personal times.

“When I first quit swimming and had kids, that was a difficult time for me. So to have a structure and a routine was really good at the beginning, and a purpose to go each day,” she says.

For O’Neill, radio became a sanctuary, much like the pool had been in her swimming days.

“There was one year when I wasn’t working much there because I had stuff going on at home, and they would just say, ‘Just come in and just sit here; you don’t have to say anything,’” she recalls.

“It was really good to just sit there and then sometimes talk, sometimes not.”

Through the laughter and daily discussions, she could escape, if only for a few hours.

“The reason I like radio is you’re really present in the moment. Nothing else worries you while you’re there. It’s like a good swimming race, a good day on the radio – you’re in the zone,” she says.

With radio soon to be in her rearview mirror, O’Neill’s next chapter is a blank slate, which she finds both liberating and exciting. She plans to reconnect with her first love – swimming – with hopes of making a mark in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

“I definitely want to be involved in the Olympics somehow,” she says.

“Watching the Paris Olympics was inspiring to me, and I love being around sports people.”

She also hopes to return to grassroots swimming, driven by a desire to “make swimming fun again” for kids.

“I feel like it’s something we sometimes lose sight of at the elite level, but for kids just starting out, swimming should be about enjoyment, not just performance,” she says.

O’Neill, an advocate for young athletes’ mental health, is especially interested in helping swimmers develop a balanced approach to their sport.

“There’s so much pressure on kids today, and I want them to love the water as much as I did,” she shares.

“I’d love to do something hands-on, maybe coaching or mentoring, to help kids realise that winning isn’t everything – it’s about feeling proud of what you’re doing.”

With more freedom ahead, O’Neill is also eager for new adventures – and a well-deserved chance to sleep in.

This will be the first time since she was 10 years old that she won’t have to wake up before dawn – a routine that began with her competitive swimming career, continued through the demands of motherhood, and then her years in breakfast radio.

“I’ll get to sleep in,” she says, laughing.

She’s already made a few plans, including a four-wheel driving adventure with her 76-year-old father in her newly purchased 4x4.

“I bought a little Jimny, and my dad is going to take me driving, he is going to teach me how to lower tyres and drive around,” O’Neill says.

She’s also looking forward to camping and reconnecting with her love of surfing.

“I’m going camping with a friend as soon as I’m done here,” she says. “I just want to go the beach, do more surfing, stuff like that.”

Beyond that, she’s eager to delve into economics and finance – a subject both her children are studying.

“When they talk about it, I get really excited. I want to learn about economics and the share market and finance stuff they’re learning about.”

For all her accomplishments, O’Neill’s family remains her greatest pride. She met her husband, Cliff Fairley, at her brother’s 21st birthday, and it was “love at first sight” for her, although timing wasn’t initially on their side.

“He had a girlfriend at the time, so we didn’t start dating until a couple of years later,” she says, laughing. Married since 1998, O’Neill credits Fairley as her rock, especially during her transition into radio. “He’s always been my biggest supporter,” she says.

“When I’d come home upset about negative comments, he’d remind me that I couldn’t take every little thing to heart. He’s helped me stay grounded.”

Her children, Alix, 20, and Bill, 19, are both studying finance at university.

“I’m so proud of them. They’re both doing really well, and I love hearing about what they’re learning,” she says.

Reflecting on her journey, O’Neill credits her resilience to various role models, including legends like Kieren Perkins and Sam Riley.

“So when I swam, I looked up to people who were successful and tried to take things from them. Kieren never showed too much emotion and was very consistent, and Sam was the hardest trainer I’ve ever seen,” she says.

O’Neill also looks to her co-hosts, who she considers mentors in radio.

“Obviously Ash and Luttsy, what they could do without any preparation has always been impressive to me,” she says.

“They taught me everything I know.

“I also follow a lot of other media people too, like Spencer Howson, Kelly Higgins-Devine, and Mark Beretta on Channel 7.

“The people who you can make a connection with are what I like, and I like to try to emulate that.”

As for being a role model herself, O’Neill has grown to see it as a privilege.

“I probably didn’t like it as much when I was younger, but now, I feel like I’ve tried to live up to it,” she says.

“I suppose after the ’96 Olympics and the 1998 Commonwealth Games, I did become really quite well known, I did find it a bit overwhelming at the time – but I love it now, I’ve really enjoyed that title, I’m pretty lucky.”

Susie O’Neill is set to sign off as co-host of The Ash, Luttsy & Susie O’Neill Show with her final broadcast on November 28.

To mark the occasion, Nova will host a special farewell event, Susie O’chella, at South Bank.

The free celebration will offer fans a chance to bid farewell to the sporting icon and radio legend, as well as witness her final DJ performance as DJ Lazy Susan.