[5][6] With her father's help, Brownlee trained on the Parramatta River in the K1 and K2 classes but shortly thereafter switched to canoe slalom.
[7] In 1992, Brownlee created the Pierre de Coubertin Awards to recognise secondary school students who are active participants in sport and demonstrate fair play and sportsmanship.
[8] In 2013, following referendums for gender equality, Brownlee became the first woman to be elected as one of the vice presidents on the Australian Olympic Committee.
[6] On 5 May 2015, Brownlee was awarded the Olympic Order for her contributions to bringing international recognition to the sport of canoeing.
[17] In 2018, Brownlee was awarded the Order of Australia[5] and was appointed to the International Olympic Committee Education Commission.