Mitchell Baker

BIOGRAPHY

Now just 24, Mitchell continues to emerge as one of our brightest race-walking prospects. He has managed an enormous workload over the last five years, including graduating from law in 2024, working fulltime and the training demands of a long endurance. Despite these demands he has annually been selected on Australian teams since 2023.

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Mitchell Baker’s journey in athletics started way back in under-6s at Little Athletics. “My pop and my mum both did junior athletics, so it was only natural for me and my siblings to be next up on the track.” By the under-11s Mitchell was race walking.

Great disappointment set Mitchell on his successful race-walking pathway. In 2012 at the ACT State Little Athletics Championships, he won the under-11 walk “my first state medal”, but unfortunately he was disqualified. “This was the best failure in my life as I turned the experience into an opportunity to seek coaching and seriously begin my race walking career.”

He compiled a most successful teenage race walking career, including a terrific under-16 year with two Australian titles on the track. He made his Australian team debut at age 16, at the World Race Walking Teams Championship in China. Competing in the under-20 10km walk event, he helped the Australian team to a bronze medal.

Since teenage years, his purpose has changed. “Despite chasing winning success in my early junior days, I now find my motivation and enjoyment in the sport by challenging myself day in day out and find great enjoyment training with my mates, the bonus is the ability to travel the world with my sport which is not a bad perk either. “

Mitchell made his senior Australian debut in 2023 at the World University Games, placing 12th in the 20km Walk and claiming a bronze medal with the Australian team. Earlier in the year he set a 20km walk PB of 1:23.58 as he moved into the Australian top-20 in the event.

He rates his 2024 campaign as his best ever. It started in January with a 10,000m track walk PB of 40:53.86, then in April competing at the World Race Walking Teams Championship in Turkey. He capped off the year with bronze in the Australian 35km walk and closed the year ranked 11th in the world.

In early 2025 he broke his 20km walk PB with a time of 1:23.42, but was unfortunately disqualified at the World University Games in Germany. During the year he had also battled injury.

Mitchell has managed an enormous workload over the last five years. In 2024 he graduated from studying law and is now studying a Batchelor of Business in 2025, working fulltime as a para legal and the training demands of a the 20km and 35km walk events.

“Balancing full-time work, full-time study, and training has been a great challenge over the past few years. There are only so many hours in a day and keeping up with all the relentless deadlines and commitments at all times was draining. Fortunately, I was surrounded by a great support network that allowed me to thrive during this stressful period.”

Memorable sporting achievement: “Earning team bronze and gritting out a strong relative performance in the extreme heat at the 2024 World University Games in Chengdu, China stands out as my most proud moment…Hero: “I draw great inspiration and drive from those I train and compete alongside with.”… Most influential person in career: “My mum. She got me into the sport, and has been a super in supporting my progression over the years. This includes driving me to and from training, little A’s, and many national champs as a junior, being my age group coordinator at little athletics for a decade, being on the committee and president of the ACT Walking Club for years and helping put a roof over my head and food on my plate. In recent years I would not have been able to balance study work and training without her unconditional support.”…Advice to your young self: “Keep doing you and enjoy every moment.”… Hobbies: reading and cafe sesh’s. Also a fan of AFL team the Geelong Cats and French Motor GP driver Esteban Ocon….Occupation: lawyer…Education: Bachelor of Law, University of Canberra (2020-2024); a Bachelor of Business (Management), University of Canberra (2025-2026)…Interesting facts: Solved a Rubik cube in 31 min 25 seconds, represented ACT in pole vault, played in an Auskick team with GWS AFL player Tom Green; Mitchell is a twin and the family has two twins…Biggest challenge faced: Balancing full-time work, full-time study, and training has been a great challenge over the past few years.

@ 18 Aug 2025 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au