Illawarra Academy of Sport BMX athlete Rojan Fernandez has begun the Alumni Program with BaiMed after winning the BaiMed Commitment to Excellence Award at the recent IAS 40th Anniversary & 2025 Athlete Awards Ceremony.
Fernandez won the award following outstanding commitment to his strength and conditioning program and has been exceptional as he prepares to reach his goal of representing Australia in BMX.
Balancing his academic commitments and considerable training load, Fernandez managed to attend multiple IAS strength and conditioning sessions per week and engaged with the athlete management system to track his program and wellness metrics.
The Commitment to Excellence Award, proudly supported by IAS performance partner BaiMed, was presented to an athlete in the final year of their IAS scholarship that demonstrated an outstanding commitment to their training and development, as validated by their engagement in IAS performance support services and strength and conditioning sessions.
Thanks to BaiMed, Fernandez won a 12-month performance support pack, including access to BaiMed gym facilities and services valued at over $3,700.
Kat Dawson, Clinical Services Manager at BaiMed, said they are looking forward to working with Fernandez as he begins his journey from IAS alumni athlete to professional athlete.
“We’re excited to welcome Rojan into the Alumni Program,” Dawson said.
“BMX is a demanding sport, and having the right mix of strength training, recovery and professional physiotherapy support will help him take his performance to the next level.
“Rojan is a deserving recipient of the award and we look forward to seeing him in our gym each week. We can’t wait to see how far he can go!”
The Illawarra Academy of Sport recently caught up with Fernandez as he underwent his first testing session at BaiMed Performance Centre at Figtree.
“During my four years with the Illawarra Academy of Sport, they have helped me develop into the athlete I am today, with their guidance steering me towards achieving my desired goals. They have shown that becoming a professional athlete one day is not easier said than done. It requires hard work and dedication to perfecting your craft, as talent in today’s world is not enough,” Fernandez said.
“It may show a peak in performance, but most likely a mixture of a flat line displaying slow progress, or a declining hill of setbacks from factors effecting your performance growth. But this is the rocky road that each athlete has walked on and I am ready for what’s yet to come.
“With the honour of receiving the Commitment to Excellence Award, I will be able to continue developing my performance alongside BaiMed, who continues being a long-time partner with the IAS, helping athletes get competition ready. The award allows me to continue my strength and conditioning workouts as BaiMed supports me through new training routines or continuation of old ones with improvements.”
Fernandez said the program will help him on his athlete journey as he maps out his future goals.
“With the help of BaiMed, I am able to continue my training routines and reach my desired goals in the near future, especially one that’s on home soil, the 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Championships in July,” Fernandez said.
“I’m excited and ready for what will be accomplished throughout this program. As they say, the only way here is up.”
