Rebecca ‘Bec’ Henderson (athletics) just missed the podium at her maiden Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, placing fourth in the women’s 10,000m track walk in 44:44.58. The time was just four seconds outside her PB set earlier in the year when the Simon Baker-coached Sport Australia Hall of Fame scholarship holder claimed silver at the Australian 10km Championships.

Bec started the sport aged five after watching her cousin’s Little Athletics session one weekend. She first represented Australia at the 2018 World Race Walking Teams Championships aged 16. Later the same year, she showed her versatility by competing at the World Triathlon Championships.

In her first ever 20km race, the Berwick College dux finished second at the 2021 Australian Championships which earned her ticket to the Tokyo Olympics where she placed 38th in the stifling Sapporo heat as the youngest competitor in the field. At her second Olympics in Paris in 2024, she was 31st in 20km race walk and 22nd in mixed race walk team with Declan Tingay.

Two world championships appearances have also produced 20th (Eugene 2022) and 32nd (Budapest 2023) places, while her 1:28.43 PB in Japan in March 2023 elevated her to number 3 Australian all-time.

Henderson is studying for a Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Scholars) at Monash University and plans to pursue a medical degree.