Triathlon Australia performance coaches Teresa Theaker and Janine Kaye have been chosen for the AIS Elevate Women Coach program, a new professional development initiative from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to prioritise the progress of women in Australian high-performance sport.

The AIS recently announced 47 talented pathway coaches – 33 women – who will participate in two new professional development programs: one for women coaches; and another for former high-performance athletes now focused on coaching.

Accredited Performance Coaches Theaker and Kaye were successfully nominated by Triathlon Australia for the program and are two among 28 coaches from 20 different sports participating in the inaugural AIS Elevate Women Coach program.

Teresa Theaker and Janine Kaye both started out as Age Group athletes before shifting their focus to coaching and athlete development, with a strong drive to develop their knowledge and contribute to the growth of triathlon as performance coaches.

Gold Coast based Teresa Theaker, also known as Coach T, is the Co-Director and Founder of Team T-Rex Triathlon Club at Runaway Bay and has been coaching for 11 years, after being involved in the sport as an athlete since 2000 (with an impressive six Age Group World Championships under her belt).

As a coach, Teresa is two-time finalist for the Triathlon Australia Age Group Coach of the Year and has been awarded Triathlon Queensland Age Group Coach of the Year (2018) and Junior Coach of the Year (2017). Currently coaching para-athlete Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Australian representative, Sara Tait, Teresa hopes the AIS program will increase her knowledge of high-performance coaching to support Sara towards achieving selection for Paris 2024 and embraces the opportunity to connect with other women in the field of coaching.

“What an incredible opportunity to be part of the AIS Womens Elevate Coach program for 2021!” says Theaker.

“I have always had the drive and desire to learn more, to network with fellow coaches and to be taught and learn from experts in the field of coaching. The AIS program has managed to bring this all together with outstanding female coaches from many sports, an incredible course subject selection that is so very relevant, along with presenters that are highly motivating and engaging and most importantly encouraging.

“This is one of the most impactful courses I have done and I know I will be a better coach because of it. Thank you for including me in this exciting program.”

Western Australian Janine Kaye is part of the coaching team at North Coast Triathlon Club, GK Endurance and leads the GK Endurance Development Squad – the squad started by Janine herself in 2017 provides a safe, supportive training environment and coaching for local junior and U23 athletes.

After two years of developing athletes at GK Endurance and growing the sport in Western Australia, Janine has quickly emerged as a successful pathways coach and was nominated as a finalist in the 2019 Triathlon Australia Age Group Coach of the Year Awards, named 2018/19 Coach of the Year and 2020/21 Coach of the Year (joint winner) by Triathlon Western Australia.

For the west-coast performance coach, a strong focus on holistic athlete development, growth of pathways for WA based athletes, and expanding connections in the coaching field, were key motivations to seek out opportunities to be involved in the AIS Elevate Women Coach program.

On her nomination and selection Kaye says, “It was a huge honour to be chosen to participate in the AIS Elevate Coach program with 27 other amazing female coaches from 20 different sports across Australia.”

“I am very passionate about triathlon and my role within it, and I actively seek opportunities to develop further as a coach, and to build my knowledge, understanding, and experience in the performance pathway.

“Being a part of this program has given me access to meet and connect with an amazing group of coaches across Australia, as well as be supported by encouraging and knowledgeable mentors and facilitators.

“I look forward to utilising this program to continue my personal development as a Performance coach and building my knowledge further allowing me to transfer these skills and learnings to my athletes to ensure their ongoing participation and success in the sport.”