Nathan Deakes
An Australian race walker who dominated the 50km distance, setting a world record that stood for over a decade and capturing world championship gold.
Born 1977 (age 49)·Australian race walker·Birthday: August 17·Generation X
Biography
Nathan Deakes emerged from the Australian Institute of Sport's rigorous program to become one of the most formidable race walkers of his generation. His career was defined by a powerful, relentless stride and a fierce competitive spirit that shone brightest over the grueling 50-kilometer distance. Deakes's peak came in 2006, a year where he not only secured the Commonwealth Games title but also shattered the world record for the 50km walk, a mark that would remain untouched for years. Injuries, including a severe hamstring tear ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, tested his resolve, but he fought back to compete at the highest level once more. His legacy is that of an athlete who pushed the physical and mental limits of one of track and field's most demanding events, cementing Australia's place on the global walking stage.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Nathan was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Nathan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Nathan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Set the 50km race walk world record of 3:35:47 in 2006, which stood for over eleven years.
- Won the gold medal in the 50km walk at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
- Became a three-time world champion, winning gold in the 2004 World Race Walking Cup team event and individual 20km gold in 2006.
- Claimed four Commonwealth Games medals across three different Games (1998, 2002, 2006).
Did You Know?
He was known for his intense training regimen, which included walking over 200 kilometers per week at his peak.
Deakes studied mechanical engineering at university, balancing academics with elite sport.
His world record 50km walk in 2006 was achieved in Geelong, Australia, not at a major international championship.
“The 50k is a battle against the distance, the clock, and your own mind.”
