Awarded Life Membership 27 May 2022

Birth: 26 September 1962, Ballarat VIC

Steve Moneghetti AM competed at four Commonwealth Games as an athlete winning medals of every colour, served on four as a team official, including three as Chef de Mission, and was Mayor of the Village at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

‘Mona’ made his Commonwealth Games debut in Edinburgh in 1986 where he ran the 10,000m before deciding to also run the marathon, winning the bronze medal, he went one better winning silver at the Auckland 1990 Games before claiming the gold four years later In Victoria. His swansong at the Commonwealth Games came in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 when as athletics team captain he won another bronze in the 10,000m.

Mona became one of the most respected marathoners in world athletics, competing raced at four Olympics with a best finish of fifth in Seoul in 1988 among his three top-ten finishes and six world championships including a bronze in Athens in 2007 on a race that was run from Marathon to Athens.

All of this was a long way from his beginnings as a talented junior in Ballarat, where Mona grew up and still resides to this day.  He is the unofficial Mayor of the regional Victorian town.

For all his achievements as an athlete and his education as a Civil Engineering and a Diploma of Education, it has been his extraordinary contribution to sports administration and the promotion of athlete welfare which has made the most significant impact.

At the Gold Coast Games, Moneghetti arranged for the athletes to march at the front of the parade which culminated in a magic moment when flagbearer Mark Knowles walked back through the team, ensuring all competitors were able to touch the flag.

He served as Mayor of the Commonwealth Games Village in 2006 and was named as the Australian team’s Chef de Mission for Delhi 2010, Glasgow 2014 and the Gold Coast 2018. Moneghetti has served on numerous boards including Commonwealth Games Australia and Sport Australia and was chair of the Victorian Institute of Sport.

He has also given his time to countless charities, community and not-for-profit organisations. He has also been a driving force since the inception of the Run For the Kids community participation event, which has raised more than $20 million for the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

He was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to athletics as a marathon runner, administrator and mentor to young athletes in 2014 and was inducted into the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame in 2016.

Steve Moneghetti was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2021 as a General Member for his contribution to sport through administration.