One of Australia’s greatest distance athletes and four-time Olympian Benita Willis has been named Minerva Network’s newest Minerva Legend.
Recognised for her outstanding sporting achievements in distance running and successful career as a coach and entrepreneur, Benita is passionate about supporting the aspirations of current and future generations of Australian sportswomen.
Benita is the only Australian to ever win the World Cross Country Championship – considered one of the greatest victories in Australian athletics and arguably the hardest race in the world.
Throughout her stellar sporting career, Benita set 11 national records over distances from2000m to the marathon, competed in four Olympics, two Commonwealth Games and represented Australia 25 times at World Championship level, winning multiple National Championship and World Championship medals. In 2018, Athletics Australia inducted Benita into the Hall of Fame.
Off the track, Benita is the founder of Lace Up Running, director of Qrun, the recreational running arm of Queensland Athletics, a board director of Events Management Queensland, a member of the Oceania Athletics Athletes’ Commission and has also served on the World Athletics Athletes’ Commission.
As a Minerva Legend – a voluntary role, Benita becomes the newest addition to a network of leading Australians with a shared goal to enable elite sportswomen to maximise their opportunities on and off the field.
As a former professional female athlete who has excelled both during and after her sporting career, Benita joins other current Minerva Legends including five-time Olympic beach volleyballer Natalie Cook OAM, former Australian netball captain Liz Ellis AO, and International and Australian Paralympic Hall of Famer Louise Sauvage OAM who serve as inspiration to further grow the impact Minerva Network has for female athletes.
On accepting her appointment at a Minerva event held in Brisbane, Benita said, “It is a huge honour to join Minerva Network as a Minerva Legend.
“Through my own personal experiences both on and off the track, I hope I can encourage more female athletes to take advantage of the pro bono support that Minerva Network offers on the challenges of being a professional athlete and in planning for and building a successful career after sport.
“Minerva Network is an inspired initiative for female athletes from all sports competing today and I am delighted to play a role in supporting the advancement of women through sport and business.”
Minerva Network Chair and Co-Founder Christine McLoughlin AM, welcomed Benita to the Network.
“With her accomplishments in sport and in a career that continues to inspire both elite athletes and the wider community to be active and enjoy sport, we are thrilled to have Benita join our Minerva Legends who are tremendous advocates for women in sport,” Christine said.
“Given the momentum we have built, and with support from Benita and all the other amazing women and male champions in Minerva Network who volunteer their time, we are in prime position to exceed our goal of supporting 1,000 elite sportswomen by 2025.
“Through Minerva Network, we have the unique privilege of providing our best female athletes with access to mentoring from some of Australia’s leading professional women. Together we are working to ensure female athletes are celebrated and valued both during and after their sporting careers and we’re grateful to have Benita joining us in this mission.”
The Minerva Network is currently supporting and engaging with over 650 professional female athletes across 70 sports codes through mentoring, personal development, and networking to open doors for these future leaders of Australia. With assistance from our Minerva Legends, together we can leverage the combined strengths of business and sport to create pathways of opportunity and empowerment for women in sport.
