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.

Winning bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with fellow VIS athlete, Jemima Montag, in the Mixed Team Marathon Walk Relay.

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.

The friendships I've made across the years, with people from around Australia and from many countries around the world.

Keep curious and remember to enjoy the journey and have fun along the way.

Lots and lots of rice.

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.

Rhydian is a three-time Olympian and a 2024 Olympic bronze medallist in athletics (race walking). Off the track, he is a member of the VIS Sustainability Squad, VIS First Nations working group and is a member of the Athlete Advisory groups at both VIS and Australian Athletics. Outside his sporting commitments he works part-time at a conservation organisation.

• Sport explainer and demonstration: what is race walking, what is involved and what are the rules. Rhydian provides a demonstration and opportunity for the audience to have a go.

• Wellbeing: Discussing the importance of pursuing goals outside of sport which compliments overall wellbeing and performance, and what this looks like for Rhydian.

• Rhydian’s sporting journey: how he went from Little Aths and school sport to winning an Olympic medal. Key moments are the importance of teamwork, building self-belief, and how consistent effort helps to break what you thought were your limits.

• Rhydian brings my Olympic medal to share and is happy for his audience to take photos with it.

• Olympic Games

• Belief breaks barriers

• Perseverance and consistency

• Team work

• Importance of trying new things