Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life. As CEO of the IAS for over 5 years this saying rings true for my time at the IAS. Whilst not without its challenges, I have had the enormous opportunity to help shape the organisation and importantly provide the best possible opportunities within the resources available to allow our scholarship holders to excel and grow as people and athletes.
Whilst I have relied heavily on the quality and integrity of the employed staff of the IAS over those years, it is the coaches and managers that have allowed us to make such a significant difference to the lives of the athletes. The pieces that make up a developing and emerging talented athlete are both many and varied and I truly believe that we at the IAS provide a lot of the pieces to the jigsaw that allows our athletes to grow.
Importantly, I have been inspired by the athletes and the way in which they represent themselves, their sport, or the IAS and genuinely believe that we are in great hands as these athletes become our future leaders. It has kept me young, and I have had a blast trying to do my bit in their development.
Between the Board, the staff, the coaches, the managers, the sponsors, the government, the Regional Academies and the local community, I am honoured to have played a small part in ensuring our athletes from the Illawarra get their chance to shine.
Many thanks and I will, I am sure, see you around.
John Armstrong
