Rebecca Julian

Personal

Julian was born on 2 December 1986 and is from Ringwood East, Victoria. She has cerebral palsy and hemianopia.

Julian attended Deakin University, where she earned a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education in 2008; as of 2012, she is continuing her studies education at Deakin.

Table tennis

Julian is a class 6 table tennis player. She has been ranked as high as number two in the world and has a scholarship at the Victorian Institute of Sport.

Julian started in the sport at the age of twelve at the suggestion of her school physical education teacher. Her first club was the Croydon and District Table Tennis Association, where she still plays in able-bodied pennant competition. In her first athletes with disabilities competition, as a 16-year-old, she debuted in the national team and finished third in her class at the 2005 Asian Oceania Championships in Malaysia. At the 2006 World Championships in Switzerland she became the first Australian woman to ever compete at the para World Championships; at the 2007 US Open in Chicago, she finished first.

Julian competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics, where she lost in the opening round to the number one ranked player in five sets. She was later named the 2007/2008 Table Tennis Australia AWD Best Player. She has also competed at the Korean hosted 2010 World Championships.

Julian competed at the 2011 Arafura Games, playing doubles with Sarah Lazzaro. Together, they beat Japan. She was chosen to lead the Australian delegation out on the grounds during the Games opening ceremonies. She was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in women's singles and doubles table tennis.