Paracanoe Sprint Coach Shaun Caven and Para Archery Coach Sarah Fuller were among 13 mentor-mentee pairs that benefited from the AIS High Performance Coach Mentorship program pilot.

Launched in late 2022, the pilot saw 24 high performance coaches from across 12 different sports paired in mentoring relationships for 12-months of guided learning and development.

Caven said he’s gained a lot from the experience of being a mentor to Fuller.

“Despite the differences between our sports, a lot of the issues Sarah and I face as high performance coaches are the same, so to be able to chat through ideas and issues has been hugely beneficial for me, even as the ‘mentor’,” Caven said.

“Now after 12-months you wouldn’t be able to tell which one of us is the mentor and which is the mentee because it has been mutually beneficial to both of us."

For Fuller, having someone she could talk to and learn from outside of her sport was one of the biggest advantages of the program.

“Having someone who has gone through similar things but isn’t directly connected to your environment makes you feel really safe to be able to have conversations you can’t have with those above you in your sport,” Fuller said.

Although the pilot is now complete, the pair don’t plan on ending their partnership anytime soon.

“We’re not going to stop because we hit that 12-month mark, we’re going to continue to have these conversations, bounce ideas off each other and just be there when each other needs it,” Caven said.

Following the successful pilot, expressions of interest (EOIs) are now open until 21 January for high performance coaches to join the 2024 Mentorship program.

To learn more or express your interest head to the AIS High Performance Coach Mentorship program page.