Women in Sport Summit Drives Two Day Agenda on Female Athletic Pathways and High-Performance Innovation at Adelaide Oval

The Ministry of Sport has delivered a two-day national sporting convergence at Adelaide Oval, hosting the Women in Sport Summit Futures Day 2026 on Monday, 19 October, followed by the Women in Sport Performance Forum on Tuesday, 20 October.

The combined initiative convened over 700 aspiring secondary and tertiary students alongside global Olympic executives, elite high-performance practitioners, sports scientists, and prominent national athletes to address critical operational imperatives across the female sporting ecosystem, spanning grassroots workforce development, elite physical preparation, and long-term commercial legacy leading into the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Opening the two-day activation, Futures Day focused on expanding professional career pathways for young women beyond traditional field-of-play competition, incorporating industry tracks in sports medicine, executive administration, broadcast media, and performance science.

Program host Sian Brennan-Todd led discussions alongside prominent sports leaders including Ashlee Morgan, who examined off-field influence and governance, and Alex Henrick,who detailed the operational scope of modern sports medicine departments.

Further sessions highlighted institutional initiatives, including Leah Cassidy’s presentation on the Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Centre for Women’s Sport, and an executive career panel featuring Callum Beale, Clare Lindop, Selma Barlow, and Linzi Appleyard, which outlined workforce entry strategies, leadership resilience, and professional development.

The educational programming extended into a higher education session co-hosted by Flinders University and the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA), featuring Tori Toogood, Dr Rubi Cury, Megan Wooldridge, Dr Holly Evans, and Professor Shane Pill, who analyzed talent pipeline requirements ahead of Brisbane 2032.

The day concluded with an executive fireside exchange between Brennan-Todd and World Surf League Chief Exeutive Officer Jessi Miley-Dyer, examining commercial rights management, institutional advocacy, and structural evolution in global sports governance.

Transitioning to elite athletic development on Tuesday, the Performance Forum addressed high-performance methodologies, female-specific physiological research, injury risk mitigation, and athlete wellbeing frameworks. Andrew N. Liveris AO, President of the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee, delivered the opening leadership address,emphasising the necessity of sustained stakeholder collaboration, infrastructure investment, and interdisciplinary alignment to maximize performance outcomes and societal impact over the next decade.

Practical health and educational models were demonstrated through League Ahead’s presentation on the inaugural NRLW Rookie Female Health Expo, featuring League Ahead NRLW Wellbeing and Education Manager Sheridan Hawkins,CQUniversity Associate Professor Dr Melanie Hayman, and St George Illawarra Dragons NRLW Head Physiotherapist Jess Stoll.

Physiological research and individualised preparation protocols were further detailed by South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) sport physiologist Dr Ella Smith, SASI Senior Physical Preparation Coach Dr Fabian Garcia-Byrne, and Peak Preparation Founder Dr Sacha Fulton, who jointly challenged historical training assumptions and advocated for data-driven, individualized loading models.

Integrative athlete recovery and health strategies were evaluated across dedicated expert panels, including an “Eat Sleep Recover Repeat” session featuring Flinders University Sleep and Psychology Laboratory Director Dr Darah-Bree Bensen-Boakes and Advanced Sports Dietitian Lauren Stibley, who addressed sleep architecture variance and nutritional energy availability. High-performance physical preparation was explored in the “Stronger by Design” panel with St Peter’s College Senior Athletic Development Coach Charlotte Mathews, High Performance Manager Tom Reddin, and ASCA Master Level 3 Coach Dr Ben Haines, who called for equitable access to strength infrastructure and early physical literacy intervention.

Additionally, concussion management protocols were presented by SA Sports Medicine Association CEO Danielle Grant-Cross, Your Brain Health Clinical Engagement Lead Millie Bishop, and Neurological Physiotherapist Liz Jemson-Ledger.

Elite athlete perspectives were provided by former Port Adelaide AFLW captain Janelle Cuthbertson and Paris 2024 Olympic gymnast Emma Nedov, who detailed the psychological recovery from long-term injury, identity transition, and high-performance load management.

WThe event concluded with technical presentations from VALD strength and conditioning specialist Kelly Penfold, alongside a sports science panel comprising Nathan Reeves, Dolphins NRL Sports Scientist Abby Ryan, and Dr Hunter Bennett, before wrapping up with an interactive all-speaker super panel and industry networking reception.

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