Three new Life Members were conferred at the Commonwealth Games Australia Annual General Meeting today, becoming the 26th, 27th and 28th members of the prestigious club.

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games Australia Annual General Meeting, held today in Melbourne, the voting members conferred three new Life Members – badminton player, coach and Section Manager Rhonda Cator; athlete,  team official, Village Mayor and Chef de Mission Steve Moneghetti AM; and  Australian Commonwealth Games Association/Commonwealth Games Australia Board Member and Foundation director Bill Walker.

Commonwealth Games Australia President Ben Houston congratulated the three new Life Members, for their contributions and service to the Commonwealth Sport Movement and welcomed them as the 26^th, 27^th and 28^th members of the prestigious club.

The conferring of life membership for the trio, along with last year’s new inductees Dr. Grace Bryant OAM, Marjorie Nelson-Jackson AC CVO MBE and Sue Taylor AM, who were the first new life memberships since 2015, continued the work of the refreshed Awards and Honours program developed by the recently formed Heritage and Awards Committee.

Houston said it was and is an important component of CGA’s strategy to celebrate the rich history of the Commonwealth Games in Australia.

“Congratulations to Rhonda, Bill and Mona who have all made their mark on their sport and the Commonwealth Sports Movement in Australia. From the grassroots to the participation in the Games as athletes and leaders and in Bill’s case, his enduring legacy of the CGA Foundation which continues to underpin the financial stability of CGA and with it the support provided to Member sports and athletes.

“They are all deserving of the honour of life membership.”

Rhonda Cator served at eight editions of the Commonwealth Games as an athlete, coach and section manager.

She competed in five Commonwealth Games in Badminton at the Edinburgh 1986, Auckland 1990, Victoria 1994, Kuala Lumpur 1998 and Manchester 2002 Games winning a bronze medal in the mixed team event in Edinburgh, bronze in the doubles and mixed team events in Victoria and a two more bronze medals, in the mixed doubles and women’s team event respectively, in Kuala Lumpur four years later.

Badminton became an Olympic sport in Barcelona in 1992 and Cator made her Olympic debut there and proceeded to play in the next two editions of the Games, in Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000.

Domestically, Cator won the national titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles and won the French Open in 1992 with doubles partner Anna Lao.

Born in Numurkah in regional Victoria, Cator grew up in Strathmerton and has always been proud of her country upbringing and for many years served as a sport promotions officer with Badminton Victoria, travelling throughout regional areas to promote the sport to the young and old.

Off the court, Cator was a team coach at the inaugural Commonwealth Youth Games in Bendigo, team coach at Melbourne 2006, Section Manager in Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014 and was a member of the team headquarters staff at the 2011 Youth Games in Isle of Man.

Up to the Delhi 2010 Games, her four appearances as an athlete and team official roles in Melbourne and Delhi had Cator participating in the most Games of any Australian

Cator continues to serve the sport as Manager of the Ballarat Badminton Association where she manages the facility, the programs and coaches programs for the WestVic Academy of Sport. She has a particular interest in attracting women and girls to the sport she loves.

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 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 where he won another bronze in the 10,000m.

Mona raced at four Olympics for three top-ten finishes in the marathon and claimed the world championships bronze in Athens in 2007 on a race that was run from Marathon to Athens.

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.

Bill Walker has provided significant service to the Commonwealth Sport Movement, through direct roles with Commonwealth Games Australia and via the sport of triathlon.

Walker was a member of the ACGA/CGA board from 1999-2012 and was Chair of the Investment committee from its inception in 1999 through to 2021.

He played a significant role in growing the CGA Foundation funds from its early bank balances to its position today as a stable financier of CGA operations.

Walker’s contribution to triathlon is also significant. He was an age group competitor in triathlon including representation at the ITU World Championships and Australian Ironman Triathlon Championships. In 1992 Bill was elected to the Board of Triathlon NSW and the Board of Triathlon Australia.

He was President of Triathlon Australia from 1994 to 2000, during this period Australia hosted two ITU World Championships – in Perth in 1997 and 2000. He served as Chair of the organising committee for the ITU World Cup Sydney from 1995 to 2000. Apart from becoming the test event for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games., it set a new standard for the presentation of triathlon. In 1994 Bill was elected as the Oceania Representative on the Executive Board of ITU and in 1999 was elevated to the position as Treasurer, a position held until 1994.

He was Secretary General of ITU from 2004 to 2008, First Vice President from 2008 to 2012 and was re-elected as Vice President in 2012. He was awarded Honourary Member status of the ITU Executive Board and is a Life Member of Triathlon Australia.