Australian Sailing today launched its Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement Framework (AWEF), which is designed to ensure Australia’s elite and developing sailors are supported in their development both on and off the water.

A key element of the new Australian Sailing High Performance Strategy “#nextlevel towards LA 2028”, the framework has been designed to holistically develop the athlete through the Australian Sailing high performance system. It is intended to holistically support and develop the athletes, on and off the water, to achieve optimal performance in sailing and life through improved personal development, wellbeing and engagement in activities outside of training and competition.

“At Australian Sailing we have some of the very best and brightest athletes in the Australian sport system.  Ensuring our athletes have the right balanced and tailored performance-driven environment where they excel, both on and off the water, is what we are all about,” said Australian Sailing High Performance Director Mike McGovern.

“This collaboratively developed framework provides clarity on our strategic athlete wellbeing and engagement priorities.  It is owned by the entire team with shared responsibility for ensuring our athletes are provided with the resources and experiences they need today and into the future”

The five key streams of AW&E are Career & Education, Personal Development, Mental Health, Community Engagement and Conduct & Professionalism. The Framework relies on input from stakeholders throughout the sport and national institute network, ensuring a collaborative approach to create an effective wellbeing environment.

Developed through a cross-functional team of experts and led by AW&E Lead, Ben Carbis, it promotes career development and education as well as creating opportunities for athletes to give back to their local community through speaking engagements and community events. Our athletes are role models who can inspire our sailing community and unite our national through sporting and life success.

The Framework themes include Performance is Priority, Routine Support, International Campaign Support, Life Planning, Athlete Services, Parents and Partners and Policy and Procedures.

The framework and resourcing would not be possible without the valued support of the AIS, State Institute partners as well as our wonderful Australian Sailing Team patrons.

The release follows on from the recent Athlete Development Framework announcement, which provides aspiring athletes and their coaches with clear targets to tailor athlete development plans and key focus areas for ongoing learning and development

The Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement Framework is a key deliverable from the #nextlevel strategy, you can read more about that strategy here.