Helen Alfano

Helen is an experienced performance services leader, practitioner, and coach with over 19 years of experience in world-class sporting environments. Her career spans high-performance roles across Sport Institutes, National Sporting Governing Bodies, and Professional Teams.

With a background in both the science of optimising physical performance and wellbeing, Helen has consistently supported elite athletes, teams, and those that lead them, to thrive in both day-to-day operations and at critical moments such as the Olympic Games. She has worked with numerous World, Olympic and Commonwealth medallists and their support teams in endurance, combat, and team sports. Since 2008, she has played a key role in many major international competitions, contributing both as a support practitioner and as a leader overseeing teams and operational delivery. In her senior leadership role within a National Team, she collaborated on, developed and implemented strategic plans, while managing teams and driving outcomes, resulting in winning Commonwealth Gold and a World medal.

Most recently, Helen has coached the senior leadership team and led the creation of a positive performance culture within a newly formed professional Netball team – facilitating the development of clear guiding principles, fostering alignment, accountability, and a sense of shared purpose – enhancing both performance and satisfaction. Helen is also a published academic with a PhD in Elite Performance, specialising in organisational psychology. Her research and applied experience offer deep insights into optimising support systems for individuals and teams operating under pressure.