The VIS is based in its own world class facility at Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park, providing a state-of-the-art environment for Victoria’s best athletes, including two large gyms, a pool and recovery facilities, sport science laboratories, treatment rooms and offices. It is here, alongside Australia’s leading strength and conditioning coaches and performance scientists, that VIS Mentorship Program participants build the foundations of a high performance career.
Applications for the 2026 to 2027 VIS Mentorship Program are now open, with two pathways on offer, the VIS Mentorship Program – Physical Preparation and the VIS Mentorship Program – Performance Science. Both are voluntary mentorships running from October 2026 to September 2027, providing structured, practical experience within an elite athlete environment as Victoria’s high performance sector prepares athletes for Brisbane 2032.
Strength and conditioning and performance science remain fields where women are underrepresented at the elite level. The VIS actively encourages female applicants, and points to its own staff as evidence of the pathway available: two of the VIS’s full-time physical preparation and performance science practitioners came through the Mentorship Program before stepping into their current roles.
From mentee to full-time staff
VIS Physical Preparation Coach, Ben King, is heading into his 11th year at the VIS. He began his career as a physical preparation trainee and has since worked across multiple sport programs including golf, netball, shooting and hockey. He now coordinates the Physical Preparation stream of the Mentorship Program.
The Program is distinguished by the level of mentorship we provide. Mentees are paired with a direct mentor in addition to having access to an experienced team of strength and conditioning coaches. That’s the hallmark feature of what we do, and it’s something that’s very difficult to replicate elsewhere in the high-performance sector.
VIS Physical Preparation Coach
Hana Glascow-Palmer, now a VIS Physical Preparation Coach, and Milli Bilson, now a VIS Performance Scientist, both completed the VIS Mentorship Program before joining the VIS full-time. Their progression reflects the Program’s core purpose: to provide hands-on exposure to elite sport, direct mentorship from experienced practitioners, and a genuine pathway into full-time high performance roles, at the VIS and beyond.
VIS Mentorship Program - Physical Preparation
The Physical Preparation stream provides aspiring strength and conditioning coaches with practical experience preparing elite athletes alongside Australia’s leading S&C coaches. Under the guidance of a VIS employee, mentees observe and may assist with squad training sessions, programming, strength and power testing, load monitoring and video technique analysis, complemented by weekly specialist-led workshops. Contact hours are approximately 10 hours per week, structured around existing work or study commitments, running October 2026 to September 2027.
VIS Mentorship Program - Performance Science
The Performance Science stream provides exercise and sport science students and graduates with practical experience supporting elite athlete preparation in a high performance environment, under the direct supervision of a VIS Performance Scientist. Fortnightly workshops span Performance Science, Physical Preparation, Nutrition, Wellbeing, Medical, Coaching and Management. Stream is aligned to one of three disciplines:
Movement Science (Biomechanics and Learning Design): movement analysis, kinematic data collection, reporting and involvement in VIS research projects
Performance Analysis: live video capture and analysis, match analysis software, competition feedback and data science for sport-specific projects
Physiology: testing and training data collection, load and wellness monitoring, recovery strategies, race profiling, and heat and altitude training support
Who can apply
Both mentorships are open to current undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate students studying Exercise and Sport Science or a related discipline. A current Working with Children Check and current CPR and First Aid are essential requirements of the role.
Applicants must be based in Victoria and able to attend VIS headquarters at Albert Park, as well as various daily performance environments around Melbourne. Mentorships are not offered to high school students.
The VIS welcomes applications from candidates at any stage of study across both strength and conditioning and performance science.
Applications for the 2026 to 2027 VIS Mentorship Program are now open. Learn more and apply now.
