At an Australian 20km Race Walking Championships that could be a considered a formality for Jemima Montag, the dual Olympic bronze medallist sees an opportunity. With little to add to her own decorated resume in Adelaide, the narrative shifts to leading the way for her peers.
At 26-years-old, Montag has won the last five Australian titles over the distance. That number is only growing and sits under her Olympic bronze and World Championships silver in the event, but Montag is not relying on past success.
“Even once you become an Olympic medallist, you still need to be really attentive to all the big rocks that make up a great performance and not just assume that things will happen,” Montag said.
“The depth in Australian race walking is continuing to grow and that keeps me on my toes. Seeing some of the younger women improve is really exciting and it pushes me along to apply myself.”
With Olympians Olivia Sandery and Rebecca Henderson following her lead and a host of emerging stars including Elizabeth McMillen and Alexandra Griffin building into the scene, Montag takes pride in being approachable for younger athletes as Australia’s rich history in the discipline looks set to continue.
“It’s so rewarding and heartwarming for me to be able to see my younger self reflected back at me, and to see that the things I have learned can make the road a bit smoother for other people,” Montag said.
“On training camps, I try to create an environment where it is really friendly and informal. They can ask any questions about challenges; thoughts of giving up, technical aspects, nutrition, periods, other commitments – we try to break down barriers.”
Montag admits that after the success of Paris in 2024, her 2025 campaign will look slightly different having returned to medical school last month. Fitting her “double life” into the day means a 20km training walk to the hospital some days or a 10km jog home in the name of efficiency.
“This year is a bit of a different year for me going back to medical school after Paris. I did have to explain that every four weeks my timetable changes and we need to be flexible and creative with our training at times,” Montag said.
“It keeps your identity nice and broad. You hope training and racing is always going well but if you do have a disappointing session or an injury, it reminds you that you are more than an athlete.”
Having enjoyed a lengthy break after the “rollercoaster” road that led to double Olympic bronze in Paris, the 26-year-old looked in fine form when coasting to victory over 10,000m at last month’s Supernova in Canberra off the back of a training camp in the nation’s capital.
“October 1st is usually our start again date after a major. I sit down with three people and we map things out. At this point in my career, there is not too much we need to change to continue to see year-on-year improvement,” Montag said.
“I was physically ready but mentally and after Paris. I have never had two races before and those huge highs, but also obviously the physical expenditure of those events was tiring.”
The 2025 Australian 20km Race Walking Championships will be contested at 8:00am ACDT on Sunday February 16, with entry lists available HERE.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 7/2/2025
