Training

Sprint, middle distance and distance running sessions are available within the Moore Park and Centennial Park precincts with our coaches as follows:

• Monday 6.00pm @ ES Marks athletics field | exclusive free access for SUAC members (all)
• Tuesday 5.45pm @ Mackay Oval Centennial Park (sprinters)
• Wednesday 6.00 pm @ Fairland Pavilion Centennial Park (middle distance & distance)
• Thursday 6.00 pm @ ES Marks (sprinters)
• Saturday 8.10 am @ Fairland Pavilion Centennial Park (middle distance & distance)
• Saturday 9.00am @ Centennial Park or Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre (sprinters)

Athletics is a competitive sport with both training and competing essential for success. Training is for those who can commit to at least 2 sessions per week with our coaches.  If you are interested in finding out more about these sessions, please stipulate in the Expression of Interest form (see below) your interest in these sessions.  Profiles of our coaches Josh Tassell and Guillaume ‘Gilly’ Boglioni Beaulieu can be found below. Please note times and locations above are subject to change.

Strength & conditioning sessions are available for established and registered SUAC athletes at the David Mortimer High Performance gym on Wednesday and Friday mornings with SUACs strength & conditioning coach. Further information available upon registration.

It is expected athletes commit to at least 2 sessions with our coaches per week. Minimum age is 16 years for training sessions. Training fees do apply (which are entirely separate to Registration fees and available directly from coaches) so please fill out our Expression of Interest form to find out more about training.

Coaches

Josh Tassell is a graduate of Sydney Boys High School and the University of Sydney as well as a highly distinguished former SUAC athlete and executive club committee member. He is an accredited Athletics Australia coach, a state medallist over both 200m & 400m, club record holder and highly experienced strength & conditioning trainer. Josh has coached school age, juniors and adults for over 10 years and coaches SUAC sprinters up to and including 400 metres in the Moore Park and Centennial Park precincts in his Asset Dominance Sprint squad. Josh was previously SUACs Acting Director of Athletics with skills across the whole range of track and field from high performance through to partcipation level and sports administration. He has been awarded a University Gold for services to athletics at the University of Sydney.

Guillaume ‘Gilly’ Boglioni Beaulieu is an accomplished middle-distance athlete and has been a member of SUAC since moving from Montreal Canada, in 2017. He was previously the president of University of Montreal’s Athletics Club. He holds a PhD in actuarial studies from the University of New South Wales and is a lecturer in actuarial studies at Macquarie University. Gilly was part of Dean Gleeson’s squad since arriving in Sydney, Dean being an Australian Olympic coach and coach of multiple national champions. Gilly is passionate about motivating students and athletes to be the best they can be, having taken over Dean’s middle distance and distance squad from the end of 2023. Gilly is a dual Australian Masters champion and a Level 2 Athletics Australia qualified coach. His squad is also based out of Moore & Centennial Parks.

Please use our Expression of Interest form if you are interested in training.

Director of Athletics

Lilly-Ann O’Hora 

Sydney University Sport and Sydney University Athletic Club are thrilled to announce the appointment of Lilly-Ann O’Hora as the new Director of Athletics starting September 2024. Lilly-Ann brings with her a wealth of experience and a passion for athletics that is set to propel our club to new heights.

As a former international 100m sprint hurdler and the 4th fastest Irish hurdler of all time, Lilly-Ann understands firsthand the challenges and rewards of being a student-athlete, having balanced her own academic pursuits with an elite sports career, which included earning a scholarship at Dublin City University while competing at the highest levels.

Off the track, Lilly-Ann has also made significant contributions to sport which have earned her several prestigious accolades including a nomination for the 2023 Woman of the Year Award by World Athletics and the PwC Sport for Business 30 Under 30 Award in 2022. She has also been honored with the Gaisce Award from the President of Ireland for her outstanding community involvement and charity work. Furthermore, Lilly-Ann was shortlisted by the Federation of Irish Sport for the ‘Best Initiative to Promote Women in Sport & Physical Activity’ for her impactful work on the Forerunners Programme – Female Leadership.

This combination of athlete, with an academic background, and her extensive experience with global athletics organisations (World Athletics, European Athletics and Athletics Ireland) will undoubtedly accelerate SUACs growth, enhance the athletic opportunities for our athletes at all levels and set new standards for inclusive sports environments.

Lilly-Ann can be reached via our website or 9351 4040 and is based at the Arena Sports Centre, University of Sydney.

Gillian Ragus
President
Sydney University Athletic Club