Athletics
Race Walk

Rhydian Cowley

Olympic Games bronze medallist in the 42km Race Walk Team at Paris 2024.

3 Olympic Games
- 1 bronze
12 World Championships
2 Commonwealth Games

Events: 20km Walk · 42km Race Walk Team · 50km Walk
Age: 35
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CareerGames record

2024Paris Olympic Games
- 20km Walk12th
- 42km Race Walk TeamBronze
2022Birmingham Commonwealth Games
- 10km Walk8th
2021Tokyo Olympic Games
- 50km Walk8th
2018Gold Coast Commonwealth Games
- 20km Walk11th
2016Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games
- 20km WalkCompeted
World Championships2010 to 2026
- Half-Marathon Race WalkWorld Athletics Race Walking Team Championships, 2026Competed
- 35km WalkWorld Athletics Championships, 202511th
- 20km WalkWorld Athletics Championships, 2025Competed
- 42km Race Walk TeamWorld Athletics Race Walking Team Championships, 20246th
- 20km WalkWorld Championships, 202314th
- 35km WalkWorld Championships, 2023Competed
- 20km WalkWorld Race Walking Team Championships, 202211th
- 20km Walk TeamWorld Race Walking Team Championships, 20224th
- 20km WalkWorld Championships, 2022Competed
- 35km WalkWorld Championships, 2022Competed
- 20km WalkWorld Championships, 2019Competed
- 20km WalkWorld Race Walking Team Championships, 2018Competed
- 20km Walk TeamWorld Race Walking Team Championships, 201813th
- 20km WalkWorld Championships, 2017Competed
- 20km WalkWorld Race Walking Team Championships, 2016Competed
- 20km Walk TeamWorld Race Walking Team Championships, 201612th
- 20km WalkWorld Athletics Championships, 2013Competed
- 10000m WalkWorld Junior Championships, 2010Competed

Medals	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Olympic Games	–	–	1
World Championships	–	–	–
Commonwealth Games	–	–	–

Get to know RhydianIn his words

“Winning bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with fellow VIS athlete, Jemima Montag, in the Mixed Team Marathon Walk Relay”Most memorable sporting moment

How does the VIS support your career in high performance sport?: VIS support has helped me better understand how to get the best out of myself on race day, maintain the consistent year-on-year work required for improvement and mastering my event, and to shatter what I thought my limits were. The strong sense of being a team has helped – I know that my physiotherapist, physical preparation coach, performance psychologist, physiologist, biomechanist, sports dietician and coach are all working well together to help me put all the pieces of the puzzle together.
Proudest personal achievement outside of sport: Winning the BBC Green Sports Award World Athlete of the Year in 2024. It made me feel that my work as a climate action advocate is having an impact on making the world a better place, and that my voice as an athlete has value and power.
What do you enjoy most about your sport?: The friendships I've made across the years, with people from around Australia and from many countries around the world.
Advice to your younger self: Keep curious and remember to enjoy the journey and have fun along the way.
Go-to meal before competing: Lots and lots of rice.
What do you enjoy doing outside of sport?: Hobbies include birdwatching, reading and jam-making (and sharing). Other things I do stem from wanting to be involved in too many things. Let's go through them: part-time work at a conservation not-for-profit, climate activism, and community involvement. This includes being the treasurer at my local community garden; Fawkner Food Bowls, a committee member at Merri Food Hub, secretary of the Australian Athletics Athlete Advisory Committee, and member of the VIS Athlete Advisory, VIS Reconciliation Working Group and VIS Sustainability Squad. Also I'm an ambassador for several charities, including the Sports Environment Alliance, EcoAthletes & Soap Aid. I'm also involved in community speaking through VIS Community Programs and with the Australian Sports Museum's meet an Olympian program.