Deakin Business School students and Alumni were well-represented among Australia's Tokyo Olympians and Paralympians.
We're very proud to be associated with the nine Deakin Business School students and alumni who have competed at the Tokyo Olympics or who are set to compete in the Paralympics.
Olympic and Paralympic selection is a huge achievement and, the commitment made by these athletes to elite sport as well as study only serves to amplify that achievement.
Courtesy of the Deakin Life blog, here are the Deakin Business School students and alumni who made it to Tokyo.
Alex Viney: Rowing – Paralympics
Master of Business (Sport Management) student Alex joined the national team after only five months as a para athlete, winning gold at both the 2019 NSW State Championships and Australian National Championships. The Deakin community has been keenly following Alex’s outstanding achievements over the years, and proudly recognised her at the 2019 Deakin Sport Awards. In her role as a Lifeline Community Custodian, Alex shared her story about how she became a para athlete following a life-changing accident when she was 18 that threatened to cut short her fledgling rowing career.
Nathan Pellissier: Table Tennis – Paralympics
Currently studying his Master of Professional Accounting and Finance while he works part-time at a Law Chambers, Nathan is debuting at his first Paralympics in Tokyo. Nathan claimed gold medals at three major international championships in 2017, including the Korean Para Open and the Taiwan Para Open. In 2018 Nathan won bronze medals at the Spanish Para Open and US Para Open. We can’t wait to see Nathan battle it out to realise his goal of bringing a medal home!
Campbell Watts: Travelling reserve for Rowing – Olympics
Talented rower Campbell, who’s studying a Bachelor of Property and Real Estate/Bachelor of Commerce, was a travelling reserve following an impressive series of World Rowing Championship wins in recent years. Claiming silver for the men’s quadruple scull in 2018, Campbell and team placed third in the quadruple scull semi-final at the 2019 event to qualify for the Olympics.
Rebecca Allen: Basketball – Olympics
Rebecca, who did a masters in marketing at Deakin, currently plays for both Arka Gdynia in Poland and New York Liberty in the WNBA. Representing the Opals, she won bronze at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, silver at the 2018 FIBA World Cup and bronze at the 2019 FIBA Asia Cup. Playing alongside current Deakin student Ezi Magbegor in the Australian Opals team, we congratulate Rebecca on her promising Olympic debut and fighting spirit in the face of fierce on-court competition.
Rhydian Cowley: Athletics (50km Walk) – Olympics
Rhydian, who completed his Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Commerce at Deakin, has eight appearances in the green and gold at the highest levels, including Olympics and world championships. A new personal best of 1:20.19 in 2019 elevated Rhydian to number seven Australian all-time. Rhydian placed eighth in the men’s 50km race walk, no small feat indeed!
Blake Edwards: Water Polo – Olympics
Olympic debutant Blake is a former Bachelor of Commerce student. Captain of the 2013 and 2015 World University Games teams, Blake won World Cup silver with the Aussie Sharks in 2018 and in 2019 claimed bronze at the World Super League Finals. Despite some losses in Tokyo, Blake showed impressive goal-scoring in the preliminary games against Kazakhstan and Serbia before the men’s team fell to Spain in a fierce clash. Well done, Blake and the Sharks!
Henry Frayne: Athletics (Long Jump) – Olympics
Bachelor of Commerce graduate Henry is just the third Australian to compete in both the long and triple jump at the Olympics, and he placed an impressive seventh in the long jump at the 2016 Rio Games. Henry won his first national long jump title in 2021 with a leap of 7.97m. During the Games, Henry placed 14th (7.93m) in the Long Jump event, missing out on the final by 3cms.
Jessica Hansen: Swimming (100m Breaststroke) – Olympics
Swimmer and Deakin alumnus Jessica finished fifth in her 100m Breaststroke heat earlier in the Games, which brought her first Olympics journey in Tokyo to an end. Jessica, who studied a Bachelor of Exercise Sport Science/Business (Sports Management) at Deakin, nabbed the silver medal in the 2021 Olympic Trials. In her second world championship appearance in 2019, she won silver in the 4x100m medley relay.
Jeffrey Riseley: Athletics (800m) – Olympics
Jeffrey, who completed a double degree in Exercise Sports Science and Sports Management, was competing in his fourth Olympics in Tokyo. After a five-year break from the national team, he remains arguably Australia’s best all-round middle-distance runner. He placed fifth in both the 800m and 1500m at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Well done to Jeffrey who took out fourth place in the 800m heat in Tokyo before finishing fifth in the semi-final.