Illawarra Academy of Sport and NSWIS Extend Partnership to Support Local Athletes

The Illawarra Academy of Sport (IAS) and the NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) are pleased to announce a four year renewal of their successful partnership which provides high-performance support to athletes in the Illawarra district.

The key benefits of the ongoing collaboration include supervised training sessions with NSWIS athletes led by IAS strength and conditioning coaches; injury prevention strategies and rehabilitation services in collaboration with NSWIS physiotherapists and performance health experts; assessment and monitoring of athlete’s physical needs, plus fitness testing, performance tracking, and reporting to optimise athlete outcomes.

Under the extended partnership, IAS athletes have access to critical resources from NSWIS, including strength and conditioning programming software, while IAS staff will receive development days, workshops and mentoring opportunities. This will ensure IAS athletes not only continually improve their performance, but they receive guidance from elite coaches, and benefit from the world-class services NSWIS provides.

This extension also ensures that IAS will continue to benefit from the expertise of Courtney Gallagher, who will remain as the Strength & Conditioning Coordinator for both IAS and NSWIS athletes in the region.

Key athletes in the region, including NSWIS scholarship holders Olympian Sarah Carli, wheelchair basketball players Tristan Knowles, Luke Pople, Shawn Russell, Jess Cronje, Georgia Munro-Cook, Maryann Latu, skateboarder Flic Turner, and sprint kayakers Jasmine Locke, Callum Elliott, and Kynan Burke, will continue to benefit from this collaboration.

IAS CEO Sallv Carmusciano  said the renewed partnership was crucial for the region’s athletes.

“We are thrilled to continue our strong partnership with NSWIS, which plays a vital role in the development of local athletes,” said Carmusciano.

“This collaboration allows our athletes to train at the highest level while staying in the Illawarra. It’s an exciting time for emerging talent in the region, and this partnership ensures they have the support they need to reach their full potential.”

“The renewed agreement underscores the shared commitment of IAS and NSWIS to providing exceptional coaching, support, and resources to Illawarra athletes, setting the stage for continued success in their sporting careers.

NSWIS High Performance Manager Alex Natera acknowledged the importance of the partnership and  the need to share high performance expertise with regional areas.

“There is so much athletic potential in regional areas, however the tyranny of distance is often a barrier to develop this talent,” NSWIS Manager Sport Science Alex Natera said. 

“NSWIS is proud to continue its partnership with the Illawarra Academy of Sport so as to provide high performance expertise to regional based athletes aspiring to compete on the world stage.”