You might know Sue Stanley as Sam Newman’s partner, but her own story is one of extraordinary athletic achievement. A triple world champion in aerobics, she dominated a sport that many remember from VHS tapes and fluorescent leotards. Here’s what we know about her career, her relationship with the AFL legend, and the details she chooses to keep private.
World Aerobic Champion: Triple World Champion · Olympian: Represented Australia · Hall of Fame Induction: 1998 · Years Undefeated: 4 years · Current Role: Motivational Speaker
Quick snapshot
- Sue Stanley is a world champion aerobics athlete and Olympian (Sport Australia Hall of Fame (official Hall of Fame))
- She is a motivational speaker (Victorian Government (state government profile))
- She is in a relationship with Sam Newman as of February 2026 (OverSixty (Australian lifestyle publication))
- Exact age (Sport Australia Hall of Fame – no birth date)
- Number of children (Victorian Government – no mention)
- Identity of ex-husband (OverSixty – not identified)
- Net worth (The Nightly – no disclosure)
- Current residence (Sport Australia Hall of Fame)
- 1993: first international gold medals (Victorian Government)
- 1998: Hall of Fame induction (Sport Australia Hall of Fame)
- February 2026: relationship confirmed (OverSixty)
- Stanley continues public speaking and appearances
- Relationship with Newman likely to remain in media focus
Sue Stanley’s career credentials form a consistent pattern: elite success in a demanding sport followed by recognition from Australia’s highest sporting body.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Sue Stanley |
| Profession | Aerobics athlete, motivational speaker |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Known For | World champion aerobics, Olympian |
| Relationship | Partner of Sam Newman (since 2026) |
| Hall of Fame | Sport Australia Hall of Fame (1998) |
| Years Active | 1990s to present |
How old is Sam Newman’s partner Sue Stanley?
Sue Stanley’s birth year and age
Sue Stanley’s exact age is not publicly confirmed. No official biography, Hall of Fame entry, or news article states her birth year. The Sport Australia Hall of Fame profile records her achievements without a date of birth (Sport Australia Hall of Fame (official Hall of Fame)).
Public statements about her age
Sam Newman, by contrast, is 80 years old, born in 1945, as reported in February 2026 when he confirmed the relationship (OverSixty (Australian lifestyle publication)). At that time, Newman spoke about travelling together in a caravan and described the relationship as “serious enough that they were cohabiting.”
The implication: Stanley has consistently chosen to keep her birth year out of the public domain, a deliberate boundary that contrasts with her partner’s decades of media exposure.
Is Sue Stanley going out with Sam Newman?
How they met
Newman told OverSixty that the pair first met at the end of 2023. A friendship developed over months before the relationship turned romantic. They spent months travelling in a caravan together — a detail Newman shared in the same interview (OverSixty).
Public acknowledgement
News of the relationship leaked in 2023 when the pair were seen together at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame function, as reported by 7NEWS (7NEWS (Australian commercial broadcaster)). Newman later confirmed the relationship formally in February 2026, calling Stanley his partner in an interview with OverSixty. In March 2026, Newman credited Stanley with quick thinking during a transient ischaemic attack (mini-stroke) (The Nightly (Australian news outlet)).
For Newman, now in his ninth decade, the partnership with a fit and active former champion athlete represents a shift toward a quieter, health-focused life away from the footy spotlight.
The pattern: Stanley’s relationship with Newman has at every stage been confirmed through external media reports, with Stanley herself keeping a low public profile.
How many children does Sue Stanley have?
Known children of Sue Stanley
No information about Sue Stanley’s children is available in the provided sources. Her public profiles — on the Sport Australia Hall of Fame website, the Victorian Government biography, and news articles — do not mention any children (Sport Australia Hall of Fame; Victorian Government).
Sam Newman’s children
Sam Newman has one child from his first marriage, widely reported in Australian media. However, Sue Stanley’s own family status remains a private matter.
Who was Sue Stanley’s ex-husband?
Identity of ex-husband
Sue Stanley’s ex-husband is not identified in the provided sources. The question appears frequently in search queries, but no public record — Hall of Fame entries, government profiles, or news articles — names him (Sport Australia Hall of Fame; Victorian Government).
Marriage details
Without an identified former spouse, timeline and length of any marriage are also unknown. Given Stanley’s intensive competitive career in the 1990s — training and traveling for world championships — any earlier marriage would likely predate or coincide with that period.
How much is Sue Stanley worth?
Estimated net worth sources
Sue Stanley’s net worth is not publicly reported. No financial disclosure, wealth ranking, or interview mentions her assets or income (Victorian Government; Sport Australia Hall of Fame).
Career earnings
Her income is likely derived from speaking engagements and her aerobics career. As a triple world champion, she may have earned prize money, endorsements, and appearance fees during her competitive peak in the 1990s. The motivational speaking circuit also provides revenue, though amounts are not disclosed (Victorian Government profile notes her speaker activities).
Timeline
- 1993: Sue Stanley began winning gold medals in competitive aerobics on the international stage (Victorian Government).
- 1994: She became the only female athlete of her era to win and defend both the IAF World Cup Aerobic Champion title and the WAC World Aerobic Champion title (Sport Australia Hall of Fame).
- 1998: Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame (Sport Australia Hall of Fame).
- 2000: Won gold at the Olympia World Championship after a five-year retirement from international sport (Sport Australia Hall of Fame).
- 2023: First public sighting with Sam Newman at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame function (7NEWS).
- February 2026: Newman confirms relationship with Stanley (OverSixty).
- March 2026: Stanley helps Newman during a mini-stroke; he publicly thanks her (The Nightly).
The pattern: each phase of Stanley’s public life – competitive peak, retirement, and re-emergence – has been marked by precise, verifiable events.
Certainty & clarity
Confirmed facts
- Sue Stanley is a world champion aerobics athlete and Olympian (Sport Australia Hall of Fame)
- She is a motivational speaker (Victorian Government)
- She is a member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame (Sport Australia Hall of Fame)
- She is in a relationship with Sam Newman as of February 2026 (OverSixty)
What remains unclear
- Her exact age
- Number of children
- Identity of ex-husband
- Net worth
- Current residence
- How she met Newman’s family
- Whether she plans to return to elite competition
The takeaway: the confirmed facts rest on official institutional sources, while the gaps reflect Stanley’s consistent choice to keep her personal life private.
In their own words
I’m happy.
Sam Newman, speaking to OverSixty in February 2026 about his relationship with Sue Stanley (OverSixty)
Living life On a Mission To Inspire.
Sue Stanley’s Instagram bio, as cited in multiple news reports (OverSixty)
For the AFL community watching Sam Newman’s later-life chapter, the quiet partnership with a world-class athlete adds a dimension that contrasts with his earlier public persona. Sue Stanley’s story is not just a sidebar to a footy legend — it’s a career that earned its own Hall of Fame induction before the relationship began. For Australians curious about Newman’s private life, the takeaway is clear: behind the headlines stands a woman who spent years on the world’s biggest stages, her own record intact.
dailymail.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org, celebrityspeakers.com.au, sahof.org.au, linkedin.com, realestate.com.au, sagalnews.com
Frequently asked questions
What is Sue Stanley’s claim to fame?
She is a triple world champion in aerobics and an Olympian, inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1998.
How did Sue Stanley become famous?
She dominated competitive aerobics in the 1990s, winning multiple world titles and becoming the only female athlete to hold both the IAF World Cup and WAC World Champion titles simultaneously.
Is Sue Stanley on social media?
Yes, she has an Instagram account with the bio “Living life On a Mission To Inspire.”
Did Sue Stanley compete in the Olympics?
Yes, she is identified as an Olympian, though the specific Games are not widely documented.
What is the Sport Australia Hall of Fame?
It is an independent, non-profit organization that honours Australian athletes and sporting achievements. Induction is considered one of the country’s highest sporting honours.
How old is Sam Newman?
Sam Newman was born in 1945, making him 80 years old as of 2025.
What does Sue Stanley do for a living?
She works as a motivational speaker and public presenter, drawing on her elite athletic career.
Victoria Hayes is Editor-in-Chief at Aussie Wire Hub, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections.