Bender attended Methodist Ladies College in Victoria, Melbourne where she could study and train at a high-performance gymnastics center based on campus.
At 16 years old, Bender was recruited by the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia to join an athlete talent pathway program which converted gymnasts into freestyle aerial skiers.
[1] Bender was the producer and director of the 2016 feature documentary The Will To Fly about Australian Olympic freestyle skier gold medalist Lydia Lassila.
The film made its Australian premiere in Melbourne on International Women's Day (8 March) 2016 followed by a theatrical release, where it was positively received by critics.
[8][9][10] The six-part docu-series is an inspirational and intimate behind-the-scenes story following the Matildas, as they prepare for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup on home soil.