A member of Athletics Australia’s Women in High Performance Coaching Program, Deb Walsham is one of many women being recognised with hard-earned appointments on the international stage – leading Australian athletics to a golden campaign at the 2023 Pacific Games.

Walsham has spent much of her life involved in athletics, amassing 18 years of coaching experience and currently leading the athletics program at Pymble Ladies College, but donning the green and gold as a Team Manager in the Solomon Islands was welcomed recognition.

“The Women in High Performance Coaching Program has given us the opportunity to be seen more,” Walsham said.

“You just continually learn. You learn from other athletes; you learn from other sports. One thing that I have found being in the program is that in every workshop and every meeting you are still learning, and as long as you are willing to do that – you are heading in the right direction.”

Despite the Australian team of 14 athletes reaping 11 gold medals and three silvers in Honiara, Solomon Islands under Walsham’s management, it was their attitude that she was most proud of – fostering an environment of positivity when battling high humidity and temperatures.

Largely an Under 23 team of developing prospects, the cohort battled to earn valuable World Athletics ranking points at the Category B meeting - from those vying for the 2024 Olympic Games to those receiving their first Australian tracksuit.

“The team spirit and the unity that we had was superb. The way they coped with those conditions, no one complained and they all got on with what they needed to do,” Walsham said.

“The whole Australian headquarters was just brilliant; you could not fault them at all. The community and team environment across the eight sports amongst all the athletes was amazing. They adapted really well to the conditions, which were the toughest that any of them had ever competed in before.”

Contributing to regular meetings and in-person workshops as part of the Women in High Performance Coaching Program, Walsham has gone from strength-to-strength in her coaching and leadership under the mentorship of Australian greats and peers alike.

“The program has given all the coaches the development and now exposure to get given opportunities like this. We’ve had the likes of Sharon Hannan and Penny Gillies in our group, and it’s about learning from the experiences of those guys,” Walsham said.

“The support that Athletics Australia has given the women, especially those with kids, has gone through the roof. They understand that they need these women out there and involved.”

Discussing endless topics from programming to navigating challenges facing both coaches and women in athletics, the group continue to progress through the High Performance ranks to make an impression on the national and international scenes.

“We see each other at all the events now and have become quite a close unit. No one is afraid to ask questions because there is no judgement, it’s all about that confidence and support network,” Walsham said.

With Pymble Ladies College supportive of her High Performance coaching and team management aspirations, Walsham is poised to only garner more experience in the green and gold in the years to come.

“I love giving back to the sport that I have been involved with for 40 years, so to see the next generation coming through and aspiring for Paris and future teams, it’s so exciting to see them and be away with them,” Walsham said.  

More information about the Women in High Performance Coaching Program can be found here.