A race walker with overflowing potential and the motivation to match, Elizabeth McMillen recently packed up her life in Sydney at 21-years-old and moved to Adelaide to chase her dream of becoming one of the world’s best.
Supported by a partnership between Australian Athletics and the South Australian Institute of Sport in her move to train under a new program headed by Olympic champion Jared Tallent, the race walker is quickly discovering life on the road.
The second of four athletes to be profiled this month for The Athletics Foundation, you can mark the end of the 2025 financial year with a tax-deductible donation to help athletes like Lizzy perform on the world stage. More information about The Athletics Foundation can be found HERE.
Australia’s rich history of race walking is no secret and while Olympic medallists Jemima Montag and Rhydian Cowley dominate the current headlines, rest assured that the future is in safe hands with athletes like Elizabeth McMillen.
One of Australia’s most promising talents, Lizzy juggles race walking around the globe with a double degree at university and has recently added relocation to her list of challenges which also includes endometriosis.
“I’m studying a Bachelor of Political Science and International Relations, and Criminology and Criminal Justice,” McMillen said.
“The goal is to be a bit more supported in training camps and training in Adelaide, that’s what got me there. The opportunity kind of came up when I was in Adelaide for Nationals in February and it was pretty impulsive to say yes.”
A move easier said than done for any 20-year-old, Lizzy has taken the change in her stride, leaving behind the good for something that could be great – with her actions reflective of her commitment to becoming world-class.
“I had trained by myself in Sydney forever and I was commuting over 45 minutes to get into NSWIS almost every day, so the daily training environment is better now, but it’s different. I had my whole team that I had built in Sydney and then everything changes,” McMillen said.
The quiet achiever has crept her way to number four on the Australian all-time list in the 20km Race Walk with her performance of 1:28:35 at the age of 20, also sitting in third all-time for Australians in the 35km Race Walk (2:47:26) and 10,000m Race Walk (43:00.01).
Donning the green and gold at the 2024 World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships and 2023 FISU World University Games, Lizzy will add the 2025 World Athletics Championships to her growing resume this September.
“The big thing is experience. I’m still pretty young and it can be overwhelming to be standing next to so many of the top race walkers in the world who have been competing for over 10 years,” McMillen said.
Battling inconsistencies in her performance levels due to factors outside of her control, the rising star’s improvement has stemmed from a steady increase in training and knowing when to capitalise on good health.
“A lot of it for me has been listening to my body. I have the big problem of endometriosis which is impacting everything in my life, but especially in training and races, I know that if I’m feeling good – I need to take advantage of that,” McMillen said.
With the early stages of her career coinciding with dual Olympic medallist Jemima Montag’s prime, it’s easy to draw comparisons and promise the world, but Lizzy’s move to Adelaide to train under the guidance of Olympic champion Jared Tallent is a step in the right direction.
“I know I have a few good performances under my belt but there is still that feeling of wanting to prove myself. I feel like I need to do something big to show that I’m not just casually doing this and that I’m serious,” McMillen said.
Supported by a partnership between Australian Athletics and the South Australian Institute of Sport, Lizzy has just returned from racing in Spain to a warm-weather training camp in Darwin – a schedule that is becoming expected of any athlete chasing the next level.
“All of my university is online, so it’s not too much of a hassle to go overseas. Moving has definitely taken up a lot of my time and it’s obviously going to be a busy few months with overseas competitions for the rest of the year,” McMillen said.
While the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games remain over three years away, the road has already started for many athletes like Lizzy, and you are invited on the journey by supporting them directly through The Athletics Foundation.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 11/6/2025
