Marvellous Monican

Ela Uzun, a Year 9 student at St Monica's College, Epping, has been involved in race walking since the age of seven and is a proud member of Athletics Essendon. In 2026, she competed in the Oceania Athletics Championships Under 18 5000m race walk in Darwin, marking the highest level of competition they had ever reached. Going into the event, Ela felt confident and maintained a strong mindset with the goal of winning. During the final lap, while leading the race, Ela’s shoe became unclipped, creating an unexpected challenge. She also received a 30-second penalty. Ela stopped briefly to remove the loose shoe before continuing to walk, maintaining first position throughout. She crossed the finish line first and still secured the victory despite the penalty. Looking ahead, Ela aspires to compete at the World Athletics Championships and represent Australia at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.