Shooting Australia (SA) is pleased to announce that Renae Birgan and Deserie Baynes have been appointed to lead the preparation of Australia's Shotgun National Team between now and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Their appointments come after careful consideration following the resignation of SA's Shotgun National Coach in August.
Renae and Deserie will work closely with SA's High Performance Manager (HPM) Kathryn Periac to deliver a program of world-class support for Australia's best Shotgun athletes as they navigate the Olympic nomination and selection process and prepare to perform at the Paris Games.
Renae will transition from her current role as Shotgun National Talent Coach to her new full-time role as Olympic Athlete Coach. She will work most closely with categorised athletes and their personal coaches to plan and implement a world-class approach to training and key competitions in 2024. This realigned focus for Renae will include working closely with the performance support staff from the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) to help achieve performance objectives. Pathways National Squad athletes and other athletes who put themselves in contention for Olympic selection through their performances at domestic and international nomination competitions will also be a priority for Renae.
Deserie will step down from her position as Director on SA's Board to take up her new part-time role as Olympic Team Coach. Day-to-day, Deserie will work closely with SA's High Performance Program staff to fine tune and implement the Paris campaign plan for the Shotgun National Team.
Renae and Deserie will both travel extensively to domestic and international competitions in 2024, including the Paris Olympics, where their focus will be to establish and maintain a calm, cohesive, performance-focussed environment in which National Team members can thrive, both individually and together.
When asked about Renae and Deserie's appointments, Kathryn said "I am delighted to be working with two such distinguished former athletes who have demonstrated such a strong commitment to providing both challenge and support for our athletes as they prepare for, and perform, on the world stage."
Kathryn continued "While Renae and Deserie will be in employed roles, we need our Shotgun community as a whole to get behind and support them and our athletes, to thrive through what will be a tough but rewarding 2024. Renae, Deserie and I recognise and value the tremendous contribution that athletes' personal coaches and support teams make. It takes a strong, united team and community to support the achievement of Olympic success."
