Beki Smith’s Journey from Olympic Track to Cultural Change
From the Little Athletics oval on Dharug land in Mt Druitt to the Olympic stage in London, Beki’s journey is one of resilience, pride and a deep commitment to making sport a safer, fairer and more inclusive space for all – especially First Nations peoples.
Now, as one of the newest members of Sport Integrity Australia’s (SIA) Athlete Advisory Group (AAG), she’s bringing her lived experience, cultural insight and unwavering passion to the table.
Coming from a low socioeconomic background and area, sport was a place where Beki felt comfortable and proud.
“You never forget your upbringing or where you come from; you're always grateful for that,” Beki said.
While I wouldn't change it for the world, sport was where I could strive for something greater than my postcode.
– Beki Smith OLY
It was Little Athletics that sparked Beki’s love for sport and eventually race walking. As a 6-year-old, Beki loved all of the events but excelled more on the endurance side. She got into race walking when she was 10.
“Technically, it's either something that you can or can't do; luckily enough for me it came quite naturally,” she said.
“I loved how different it was compared to everything else. I loved the challenge between having to be technically sound throughout the whole event while still trying to go as fast as you can.
“I was proud that not everyone could do it, but I was somebody that could.”
A proud Yuin woman, Beki didn’t grow up on her Country, but the local elders and community helped shape her identity.
“I always make a conscious effort to say I’m from Mt Druitt,” she said.
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“If I can do it – as a little fair-skinned Aboriginal girl from a disadvantaged area – then hopefully that inspires other kids to realise their dreams, whether it’s sport, government, politics…whatever.”
Beki's motivation
“You always want to tread lightly in this world, but for me, a big motivation is making the spaces I’m in a bit better than when I came into them.”
As a child, Beki was captivated by the power of representation. Watching Cathy Freeman, Patrick Johnson and Kyle Vander-Kuyp on TV wasn’t just exciting – it was transformative.
“They were ‘my kind’ of athletes that really paved the way for me,” she said. “Watching them succeed made me think, ‘If they can do it, I can do it’.”
She still remembers the goosebumps watching Cathy Freeman’s gold medal moment at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
“It’s so hard to put into words the impact she had on all Australians,” Beki said.
“That moment sparked a nation to be proud of everything Australia is – especially our First Nations side. But we’ve still got a long way to go. We just need to dig a little bit deeper sometimes.”
Now, Beki sits alongside those same heroes – working with Kyle and Pat on advisory committees and through her role with Sport Integrity Australia, with Patrick SIA’s Culture and Safety Advisor, and Kyle recently appointed to SIA’s Culture and Safety Advisory Committee.
“I still pinch myself every day getting to work with them and have been able to build beautiful relationships where I learn so much every time we catch up,” she said.
“Our conversations are never just about the weather – they’re deep, impactful and always about how we can do better for the next generation.”
Life lessons taught through sport
One of Beki’s most vivid memories is watching Jane Saville get disqualified in the final moments of her race walk at the Sydney Olympics.
“I was there with my mum, running up and down the course chasing her,” she recalls.
“I was bolting, sprinting – and the walkers were flying past me. I still couldn’t keep up.”
She remembers the collective sigh of the stadium when the red paddle appeared on the screen just before Jane was about to enter the stadium.
“That heartbreak…a home Games, Olympic gold…I couldn’t dream of it,” Beki said.
“But what was more impressive was how she came back four years later and won an Olympic medal.”
For Beki, that moment was a life lesson. “Sport teaches you how to fail and get up and keep moving. It’s good to fail – you learn more and come back bigger and better,” she said.
In 2012, Beki lived her own dream – representing Australia at the London Olympics.
It was a proud moment for the then 25-year-old, who was often mocked for being a walker, but always held her head high telling the naysayers “I don’t care I want to go to the Olympics”.
“Putting on the Olympic uniform was a dream come true,” she said. “To achieve something so big at such a young age…I’ll never take it for granted.”
But the experience wasn’t exactly what she imagined. “I didn’t get to go to the opening ceremony (still training in Italy). You see the whole package on TV, and that’s what you dream of. But I was lucky enough to go to the Paris Olympics in a role with the AOC, and that helped bring the two experiences together.”
Even now, she misses being an athlete. “If my body could handle it, I’d still be going today,” Beki said.
“I miss travelling, I miss representing Australia in the green and gold. But I’m fortunate to do it in a different way now – which is just as powerful and beautiful.”
The power of sport to create change
Now working at the AIS as a Community Engagement Advisor, Beki sees firsthand the power of sport to connect and uplift communities. Her role on SIA’s AAG is a chance to bring a First Nations cultural lens to sport integrity and to help reshape systems that haven’t always served everyone equally.
“I don’t speak on behalf of all First Nations people,” she said. “But I hope I can bring that perspective, not only to help educate, but to create meaningful impact and change.”
She’s passionate about representation – not just on the field, but in the workforce. When asked if she feels Australia is moving forward when it comes to cultural safety in sport, Beki said on the surface “yes”, but more needs to be done at a deeper level.
It’s not the athletes’ responsibility to teach their coaches, admin staff, or massage therapists how to be culturally aware and safe. We need representation across all levels – coaching, management, governance.
“When we talk about safe spaces and culturally safe spaces in sport, we really need to know the individuals in those spaces to be able to ensure that they're safe as well. We can't just throw a blanket across a whole cohort of people.
“Currently, we don't have the people power with the experience to push the larger bodies of work that need to be pushed.
“We’re relying on people with a lack of experience – beautiful people with the best of intentions and wanting to learn – who require education, so tasks inevitably take longer.”
Driving systemic change in the First Nations space often means a small few take a heavy load, however this is not a deterrent for Beki. She speaks candidly about the concept of cultural load – and the misconceptions that can sometimes come with it.
“I’ve missed opportunities in sport because people assumed I’d be burnt out by cultural load,” she said.
My culture doesn’t burn me out, it gives me energy, motivation and fight. It’s the system that burns me out. The lack of education and representation is what’s exhausting.
Her message is clear: “I won’t be burnt out if the system is set up for me to succeed.”
As Beki now looks ahead to her work with SIA, she reflects on what integrity means to her. She said it isn’t just a word; it’s a way of being.
“It’s how you behave in sport; from the highest echelon of yourself. It’s about ensuring our behaviours are at the highest expectations so everyone in sport feels safe and has a place of belonging.”
She believes integrity must be embedded in every layer of sport – from policy to practice and from grassroots to high performance.
As a mum watching her 12-year-old son play footy, Beki sees the values she’s lived by reflected in him.
“He’s competitive, but he’s kind. He checks on injured players, celebrates his teammates – that’s what I’m most proud of.”
Heralding the ‘Play Well, Win Well’ philosophy, Beki notes the importance of sport in teaching more than just how to win the game, event or race.
“You win in life skills, in behaviour, in resilience. That’s what we need to teach – especially in community sport.”
But she’s also aware of the pressure that can come from the sideline in sport.
“We need to stop living vicariously through our kids. Guide them, support them, let them fail and get back up again.
Education is the key in community sport and helping parents understand what really matters for kids in sport.
Beki walks with purpose in every space she enters. Her journey is a reminder that sport is more than competition. It’s a platform for change, a space for healing, and a powerful tool for building a better, fairer future.
“If I’m getting paid to do that – far out, how lucky am I?”
*Article first produced for Sport Integrity Matters magazine, Issue 22, 2025