Fresh off helping Nina Kennedy secure her fifth national pole vault title and a place on Australia's Commonwealth Games team, coach James Fitzpatrick is already focused on what it takes to go back-to-back on the world stage.
Following Kennedy's Olympic gold-medal performance in Paris, Fitzpatrick, Head Pole Vault Coach at the Western Australian Institute of Sport, realised the challenge was no longer how to win, but how to keep winning.
"It's not the same as doing it the first time, and what you did the first time isn't going to be successful the next time," Fitzpatrick said.
With that target in mind, he established his Winning after Winning project to explore how athletes and coaches can evolve to achieve repeated success.
Supported through the 2025 HP Coach Development Initiatives Grant, the project enabled Fitzpatrick to travel and connect with experienced coaches and athletes who had faced a similar challenge.
"Just being able to engage with the coaches and hear the challenges they've had, the problem-solving they've done, and what they've learned along the way gives me an advantage when I face similar things," he said.
Through the project, Fitzpatrick connected with back-to-back Olympic gold medallist Matt Wearn, as well as respected coaches including Michael Blackburn from rowing and Jimmy Owens from paddling, with canoe slalom coach Myriam Fox next on the list.
For Fitzpatrick, these conversations reinforced the importance of continual learning.
"I think that these opportunities and the funding that's been made available specifically for coaches and coach development is vital for us to continue lifelong learning, to evolve and have the experiences we need to be able to be ahead of the game and leverage off each other," he said.
"That's exactly what the grant gives you, the ability to direct your own learning, pursue your needs as a coach and deliver an environment for continued success."
With Kennedy now building toward the Commonwealth Games and LA 2028 Olympic Games, Fitzpatrick said the learnings were already influencing their training sessions as they work towards a five-metre goal.
Applications for the 2026 HP Coach Development Initiatives Grants are currently open, giving coaches the opportunity to apply for a grant of up to $6000 to pursue tailored learning experiences that support their development as a coach.
This year, one coach will also be selected as the recipient of the inaugural Paul Perkins Scholarship and receive up to $15,000 for a project that also benefits the broader HP coaching system.
