An Athlete Reference Group has been launched by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to help guide the direction of female athletic performance and health.
The AIS said the Group would oversee its Female Performance and Health Initiative (FPHI), designed to increase knowledge and support on matters of female health, wellbeing and performance in Australian sport.
The AIS said the FPHI would cover areas such as the menstrual cycle, menstrual abnormalities, puberty and hormonal contraception.
Chair of the Australian Sports Commission, Josephine Sukkar said it was critical to give athletes a strong voice on matters that directly related to them.
“The AIS is deeply committed to supporting and elevating our women athletes and I am proud the organisation has once again taken a leadership role in establishing the FPHI,” Ms Sukkar said.
“It was created to address a real need in the high-performance sport system.”
FPHI Lead at the AIS, Rachel Harris said the Athlete Reference Group was diverse, with a background in different sports.
“Athletes are the central focus of the AIS FPHI so it is essential the Reference Group is representative of the diverse community of female athletes in high-performance sport,” Dr Harris said.
“We want to ensure the athlete voice is heard and that our resources are relevant and appropriate to the population they aim to assist.”
The AIS said the Athlete Reference Group members were: Abigail Paduch (judo); Lea Yanitsas (water polo); Gracie Elvin (cycling); Stephanie Moorhouse (gymnastics); Stephanie Kershaw (hockey); Sally Phillips (basketball); Natalie Medhurst (netball); Sarah Hawe (rowing); Jessica Smith (swimming); Kaitlyn Fassina (weightlifting); Nina Kennedy (athletics/pole vault); Beki Smith (athletics/walk); Elise Rechichi (sailing); and Bree Walker (bobsleigh).
The AIS said FPHI resources were available online with learning modules for athletes, coaches and health practitioners working with female athletes.
The FPHI online resources can be accessed at this PS News link.
