Beki Smith

{{short description|Australian racewalker}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = | name = Beki Smith (nee Lee) | image = | image_size =  | caption = | birth_name = Rebecca Lee | full_name = | nickname = Babsie, Beki | nationality = Australian | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|11|25|df=yes}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | height = {{height|m=1.60}} (2012)<ref name=aoc/> | weight = {{cvt|49|kg}} (2012)<ref name=aoc/> | website =  | country = Australia | sport = Athletics | event = 20 km Road Walk | collegeteam = | club = Asics West | team = | turnedpro = | coach = | retired = | coaching = | worlds = | regionals = | nationals = | olympics = | paralympics = | highestranking = | pb = | medaltemplates = }}

'''Rebecca "Beki" Smith''' (née '''Lee''', born 25 November 1986) is an Australian race walker. Lee finished fourth in the 20-kilometre walk at the 2012 Oceania & Australian Race Walking Championships and represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the same event. She came sixth in the 2018 Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast.

==Early life== Nicknamed "Babsie" and "Beki", Lee was born on 25 November 1986, in New South Wales.<ref name=aoc>{{cite web |url=http://london2012.olympics.com.au/athlete/rebecca-lee |title=London 2012 - Rebecca Lee |publisher=Australian Olympic Committee |date=1986-11-25 |accessdate=2012-07-05 |archive-date=8 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808155341/http://london2012.olympics.com.au/athlete/rebecca-lee |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=unigames>{{cite web |title=BEKI LEE - ATHLETICS |url=http://www.unisport.com.au/HighPerformance/SummerUniversiade/Pages/BekiLee.aspx |work=Australian University Sport |accessdate=16 August 2012 |author=Australian University Sport |year=2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230202316/http://www.unisport.com.au/HighPerformance/SummerUniversiade/Pages/BekiLee.aspx |archive-date=30 December 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Lee grew up in Mount Druitt<ref>{{cite web |url=http://london2012.olympics.com.au/athlete/rebecca-lee |title=Beki Lee |accessdate=2012-08-09 |quote=Lee grew up in Mt Druitt in Western Sydney |archive-date=8 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808155341/http://london2012.olympics.com.au/athlete/rebecca-lee |url-status=dead }}</ref> in Sydney's western suburbs<ref name=sourceoly/> and attended Minchinbury Public School and Colyton Public School,<ref name=aoc/> before going to high school at Rooty Hill High School and St Marys Senior High School.

Lee started race walking when she was seven years-old and became more serious about the sport when she was ten years-old.<ref name=unigames/><ref name=sourceoly/> Her personal best in an international competition was tenth place in the 20-kilometre race walk at the 2011 IAAF Race Walking Challenge, hosted in Taicang, China, finishing with a time of "1:35.35".<ref name=unigames/>

==Tertiary education== For her tertiary studies, Lee attended the Australian College of Physical Education, where she commenced a Bachelor of Sports Business in 2007.<ref name=aoc/><ref name=unigames/> As of 2012, she is enrolled in the degree via correspondence, while living in Canberra, Australia.<ref name=aoc/><ref name=sourceoly/>

==Athletics== Lee's specialty is the 20-kilometre road walk event, with a pre-race ritual that includes listening to Bob Dylan.<ref name=aoc/><ref name=unigames/>

A member of the Asics West athletics club, Lee holds a scholarship with the Australian Institute of Sport.<ref name=aoc/><ref name=unigames/><ref name=sourceoly/> Between 2003 and 2010, she was coached by Kevin Stone, then Marilyn Pearson, with Brent Vallance then taking over coaching duties, a job he holds as of 2012.<ref name=aoc/>

Lee was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 20 km walk event.<ref name=sourceoly>{{cite web |last=Liu |first=Susan |url=http://hornsby-advocate.whereilive.com.au/lifestyle/story/stepping-out-on-an-olympic-stage-beki-lee/ |title=Stepping out on an Olympic stage Beki Lee |publisher=Hornsby & Upper North Shore Advocate |date=2012-06-21 |accessdate=2012-07-05}}</ref><ref name=westaussie>{{cite web |url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/sport/13939690/breen-into-aust-olympic-aths-squad/ |title=Breen into Olympic aths squad |publisher=The West Australian |date=2012-06-13 |accessdate=2012-07-05}}{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name=source>{{cite web |url=http://noticias.lainformacion.com/deporte/campeonato-mundial/steve-hooker-cabeza-de-cartel-de-la-seleccion-australiana-de-atletismo_aNGhFaq6FK5bCWpGQ9Uwt3/ |title=Steve Hooker, cabeza de cartel de la selección australiana de atletismo |work=lainformacion |publisher=Campeonato mundial |date=2012-06-13 |accessdate=2012-07-05 |author1=Diximedia |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231940/http://noticias.lainformacion.com/deporte/campeonato-mundial/steve-hooker-cabeza-de-cartel-de-la-seleccion-australiana-de-atletismo_aNGhFaq6FK5bCWpGQ9Uwt3/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=laroja>{{cite web |author=Noticias EFE |url=http://www.larioja.com/agencias/20120613/deportes/mas-deportes/steve-hooker-cabeza-cartel-seleccion_201206131139.html |title=Steve Hooker, cabeza de cartel de la selección australiana de atletismo. |publisher=La Rioja |date= |accessdate=2012-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303204129/http://www.larioja.com/agencias/20120613/deportes/mas-deportes/steve-hooker-cabeza-cartel-seleccion_201206131139.html |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> At the conclusion of the race she made headlines when her now husband, Daniel Smith, publicly proposed to her.

===Placements=== *Tenth in the 20-kilometre walk at the 2011 IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Taicang, China<ref name=aoc/> *Tenth in the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China<ref name=aoc/> *Second in the 20-kilometre walk at the 2011 Australian Race Walking Championships in Melbourne, Australia<ref name=aoc/> *Did not finish in the 20-kilometre walk at the 2012 IAAF World Race Walking Challenge in Taicang, China<ref name=aoc/> *Fourth in the 20-kilometre walk at the 2012 Oceania & Australian Race Walking Championships in Hobart, Australia<ref name=aoc/> *Disqualified from the 20-kilometre walk at the 2012 IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Saransk, Russia<ref name=aoc/>

She is recognised in the Australian Olympic Committee list of Australian Indigenous Olympians.<ref name=aoc-2>{{cite web |title=Australian Indigenous Olympians |url=http://corporate.olympics.com.au/files/dmfile/Australian%20Indigenous%20Olympians_19Feb2015_v2.pdf |website=Australian Olympic Committee website |accessdate=10 May 2015}}</ref>

==References== {{Portal|Sports|Athletics}} {{Reflist|30em}}

== External links == * {{World Athletics|name=Beki Smith}} * [https://www.athletics.com.au/athlete-profiles-directory/beki-smith-nsw/ Beki Smith]{{dead link|date=March 2025}} at Athletics Australia * [https://athletics.possumbility.com/athletes/athlete4771.htm Rebecca 'Beki' Smith (Lee)] at Australian Athletics Historical Results * {{AOC profile|beki-smith|Beki Smith}} * {{CGA profile|beki-smith|Beki Smith}} * {{2018 Commonwealth Games profile|athletics/athlete-profile-n6029643-beki-smith|Beki Smith}} * {{Olympics.com|name=Beki Lee}} * {{Olympedia|name=Beki Lee}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Beki}} Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Australian women race walkers Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Australia Category:Olympic athletes for Australia Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Australia Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Category:Australian Institute of Sport track and field athletes Category:Sportswomen from the Australian Capital Territory Category:Indigenous Australian Olympians Category:20th-century Australian women Category:21st-century Australian sportswomen