The Elevate Lead program, which was launched in 2023, is delivered through six residential streams and gives participants the opportunity to present on projects they are currently undertaking in the athlete development space.

Wheelchair Rugby National Pathways Manager Sam Fox said the group’s knowledge and expertise have played a key role in shaping strategies within Wheelchair Rugby’s sports pathways.

“The program offers a valuable chance to connect with fellow sports and pathway leaders, providing a dedicated environment to discuss and troubleshoot shared challenges in our roles,” Fox said.

Now mid-way through the program, participants have completed three residential camps at the AIS and Victorian Institute of Sport, covering themes including athlete development, categorisation, talent identification, progression tracking, coach support, and psychological safety.

AusCycling Director of Performance Pathways Donna Rae-Szalinski said the regular residential camps allow for knowledge sharing across the system.

“The narrative sharing between Pathway Leads at residential allows for the exchange of experiences in real time across a multitude of sports in our national pathways,” Rae-Szalinski said.

Three more residential streams are set to be undertaken throughout 2024, with a focus on strategy, operations, and recruitment, respectively.

The strategy residential will be held in February at the Surfing Australia High Performance Centre in Queensland and will support the pathway leaders as they contribute to the high performance strategic planning processes for the next quad.

Rugby Australia National Women's High Performance Manager Jaime Fernandez OLY said the upcoming streams will provide the Pathway Leads with opportunity to positively impact the system.

“It improves the delivery of programs for athletes, coaches and broader HP staff, particularly where it matters most in the daily performance environments. We are able to collaborate, engage and develop skills that provide sports with better system leaders.”

The current cohort of Elevate Leads are set to participate in the program until October 2024.

Learn more about the Elevate Lead program and see the full cohort.