Meet the future of Australian sport
Published: 2 October 2025Thirty six young regional athletes in the Victorian high-performance pathway spend a day at the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) to learn everything they need to know about their future as elite athletes.
It was a glimpse into the future for the young athletes from each of the Victorian Regional Academies of Sport (VRAS) who experienced a day in the life of a VIS Athlete.
Visiting world-class-facilities and enjoying all that the VIS has to offer, while being inspired by their sporting heroes, is the perfect way to showcase to these promising athletes what it takes to compete at the highest level.
Australian Dolphins swimming squad member Tara Kinder said that when you’re an athlete at the VIS everything is tailored to your specific needs.
'They have amazing services, from nutrition to breaking down your swimming race into 5-metre increments, they know people as individuals, and everything is tailored to you.
'I’m someone who swims to race; I love the energy behind it, but the VIS want you to be a success in sport and life. They support me in every way help me organise my week, so I have balance like with aiming for my tattoo apprenticeship.
'The industry of sport is forever growing and they’re growing with it. We have so many regional athletes here and everyone is fully supported,' Tara said.
The Victorian Government is providing $58.2 million to support the VIS over 4 years (2024-2028) to deliver programs and services to Victoria’s best athletes.
As part of this funding, the VIS supports the VRAS Network comprising 6 regional academies to ensure high-performance sport pathways exist in regional Victoria to support emerging athletes.
The regional academies include:
- Barwon Academy of Sport
- Bendigo Academy of Sport
- Gippsland Sports Academy
- SouthWest Academy of Sport
- Sunraysia Academy of Sport
- WestVic Academy of Sport.
Each of the regional academies operate similarly to the VIS, with athletes supported with a range of services using a scholarship model.
The VIS helps nurture Australia’s future of sport, with the most recent 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics the most successful events yet.
Victoria and our VIS athletes were at the forefront of so many amazing performances which saw Australia finish in the top 10 of both the Olympic and Paralympic medal tables.
For more information see our page on the Victorian Institute of Sport and Regional Academies of Sport.