Jemima Montag

BIOGRAPHY

Jemima Montag is Australia's premier female race walker who at only 26-years-old has already secured dual Commonwealth Games gold medals, and Olympic and World Championship top 10 finishes. 
The International Olympic Committee Young Leader was selected for her maiden Olympic berth in Tokyo where she placed a stunning sixth in the oppressive Japanese heat in Sapporo, clocking 1:30.39. Her sixth place was the second highest in Australian Olympic history.
In February 2022 Jemima broke Jane Saville’s 18-year-old 20km Walk Australian record, clocking 1:27.27. At the 2022 World Championships Jemima was terrific, placing fourth in a quick time of 1:28.17. A time which would have won five previous world championships. It was the second highest in the event by an Aussie woman and the best Aussie place in the event by a male or female for two decades.

Three weeks later, Jemima defended her Commonwealth Games title in Birmingham, clocking 42:34.30 in the 10,000m walk.

Going int the 2023 world championships in August, her campaign had included six undefeated races and three consistent 20km walk times of 1:27.51, 1:28:00 and 1:29.10. In Budapest she was brilliant placed second in an Australian record time of 1:27.16. In her second race in 2024, she again lowered the National record, now down to 1:27.09. In April at the World Teams Race Walking Championships in Turkey, she combined with Rhydian Cowley to qualify an Australian team for the Paris Olympics in the new event, the Marathon Race Walk Mixed Relay. They placed a safe and conservative sixth place.
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Jemima started Little Athletics at Brighton in the under 8s and after struggles with events like jump and throwing, realised she had slow twitch muscles and found her way into the technical endurance event of race walking.

Aged 16, she made her first appearance for Australia, in the junior event at the World Race Walking Cup. Just after her twentieth birthday she made her Australian senior debut at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, where she would compete in just her third 20km walk.  In the lead up she was feeling rather nervous due to it being a home Games and family would be on the sidelines. She took to journaling to understand that people just wanted her to enjoy the event as she competed in her sport. On the morning of the race she said to herself, for the first half or hour, she should be comfortable and for the remainder of the race, it will take 30 minutes of courage for a lifetime of pride. She also said did deep, have faith in my training and what my coach has told me. Montag went on to win gold by a comfortable 88 seconds, an achievement she considers as her most memorable sporting achievement. This was followed by two outstanding performances in 2019, silver at the World University Games and tenth at the world championships – the highest place in this race by an Australian woman for 20 years.

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Montag’s strong community spirit has led to part time work to support herself while she studies and trains. While at high school at Wesley College in Melbourne, she was the prefect for Charities and Community Service and later employed by The Fruit Box Group as a research assistant for their new Corporate Social Responsibility project, The One Box, which delivers free boxes of fruit, veg, milk and bread to food insecure families around Australia.

What inspired you to pursue your sport: The opportunity for constant personal development, friendships and travel…Sporting hero: Sam Kerr because she is leading a team that is changing the narrative of women’s sport and making society realise just how strong, athletic, and kind female athletes are…Biggest challenge you faced: Balancing Olympic level training with a full time medical degree - almost impossible and not without its failed papers, but we’re getting there…First sport: At 2.5 years I started ballet - I immediately loved the social, creative and performance elements of sport…Sporting highlight: silver medal at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. It was my first major medal with lots of my inner support team on the sidelines cheering…Hobbies and interests: Cooking for friends/family, playing piano, being anywhere out in nature…Advice to your younger self: During periods of self-doubt, listen to those in your inner circle. Their belief in you will change everything.
Education: University of Melbourne - Science (BS, Physiology, General) 2017-2020, Uni of Melbourne - Medicine 2022 – 2026, Wesley College - International Baccelaureate 2015-16.

@ 21 May 2024 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au