Thomas becomes Australia’s first female Commonwealth Games team Chef de Mission.

Birmingham 2022 will be the eighth Commonwealth Games appearance for the 43-year-old after a decorated career as an athlete that included her winning three consecutive gold medals in the women’s 100 metres butterfly event from Victoria 1994 through to Manchester 2002.

Since her swimming career ended in 2004, she has served at the past four Commonwealth Games as part of the Australian team headquarters staff.

At Gold Coast 2018, Thomas served as a deputy to Chef de Mission Steve Moneghetti, who has stood down after three stints as team boss.

Thomas’s appointment as team Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022 follows three Commonwealth Games as athlete services manager and her Gold Coast 2018 role as general manager of team services.

She has also led the Australian team at three editions of the Commonwealth Youth Games.

Thomas said she was honoured to be appointed the leader of the Australian team.

"I’ve had the privilege to work alongside and learn from Mona at the last three Games and will take the learnings from this experience into the role," she added.

"Steve leaves some big shoes to fill and whilst I will strive to fill those shoes, I will draw on my own experience and skills to forge my own path as team leader.

"The Commonwealth Games provided me with the moment that made me realise that I was good enough to compete on the world stage.

"This was a priceless, life-changing moment and I’m sure if you asked other Commonwealth Games athletes, they would share their own individual stories of how the Commonwealth Games have positively influenced their life.

"This experience has shown me that the Commonwealth Games provide a wonderful opportunity for athletes to showcase themselves, their talent and their Aussie spirit and pride to the world.

"I want to lead a team that builds on the legacy and success of past teams, particularly Gold Coast 2018, and be a driver of efforts to create a performance focus and positive experience for our Birmingham 2022 team."

Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) chief executive Craig Phillips claimed Thomas was the logical successor to the long-serving Moneghetti.

"Petria has served the perfect apprenticeship under Mona and brings the experiences as an athlete and team executive member from seven previous Games to the role," he said.

"She has also shown through her leadership of our teams to the Commonwealth Youth Games that she is more than capable of heading up a team in her own right.

"Petria is respected by all athletes and like Mona will no doubt bring her own style to the important role of galvanising the Australian team as has occurred at the past three Games."

Thomas will head to Birmingham as part of a CGA delegation to mark three years to go until the 2022 Commonwealth Games, from July 27, and will play a key role in ensuring the needs of the Australian athletes are met.

During a swimming career that spanned eight years and three Commonwealth Games, Thomas captured nine Commonwealth Games, three Olympic and three World Championship gold medals.

Her tally of eight Olympic medals - three gold, four silver and one bronze - is equal with two other Commonwealth Games legends, swimmers Dawn Fraser and Susie O’Neill, as the best by an Australian woman.

Thomas was Australian swim team captain from 2001 to 2004 and was crowned Australian Institute of Sport Athlete of the Year in 2001, 2002 and 2004.

She was also the 2004 winner of "The Don" Award, which honours an Australian athlete or team who, by their achievements and example over the previous 12 months, are considered to have had the capacity to most inspire the nation.

Furthermore, Thomas was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2007.

To be staged from July 27 to August 7 in 2022, Birmingham 2022 is set to feature 19 sports during 12 days of sporting and cultural festivities.

Organisers recently announced a proposal to add women’s Twenty20 cricket, beach volleyball and Para-table tennis to the list of existing sports.

The CGA is planning to send one of its largest teams to ever compete in an away Commonwealth Games. 

It is anticipated that in excess of 400 athletes will represent Australia.

Australia was represented by 473 athletes at Gold Coast 2018 with the team topping the medal table on 80 golds, 59 silvers and 59 bronzes.

England ranked second with 45 golds, 45 silvers and 46 bronzes, but Thomas is expecting it to be a closer battle at Birmingham 2022.

"We had a great home games on the Gold Coast and we won the medal table by quite some margin," she told Australian Associated Press.

"But we're under no illusions that it's going to be easy going into Birmingham and we will have a real fight on our hands to maintain that position as number one."