Governance

Who is Calisthenics Victoria?

Calisthenics Victoria is the recognised state sporting association for calisthenics in Victoria.

We are a member based organisation, governed by a voluntary Board who oversee the strategic direction of the organisation.

The Board is elected at the Annual General Meeting, and includes: Chair, Deputy Chair, Director of Finance, Director of Competitions, Adjudicator Representative, Coach Representative and up to four General Members who meet monthly and make decisions relating to the future direction of the sport. Volunteer committees coordinate a number of areas including the State Championships, Competitions, Grading and our talented Coaches throughout Victoria.

Calisthenics Victoria has an office in Oakleigh, with a team of committed staff who manage the day to day administration of the sport, volunteers, committees, clubs, coaches, performers and their families, and work with a range of stakeholders outside the sport.

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Calisthenics Victoria Board

Having joined the Calisthenics Victoria Board as a General member 4 years ago, Jess was elected Chair of the Board in 2018.

In the past four years Jess has been a member of the Compliance Committee for two years and since 2015 has represented Victoria as one of the Victorian Delegates to the ACF Council.  She has represented the Board at stakeholder forums and has developed many positive relationships with various members of the calisthenics community throughout this time.

Introduced to Calisthenics at the age of 7 as a performer at Raieburn Calisthenics Club, Jess has also held many roles within the calisthenics community.  These include being an assistant coach, committee member, marketing and social media coordinator at the club, receiving Life Membership with Raieburn and of course her membership on the Calisthenics Victoria Board.

Professionally, Jess is an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist currently working in a national role for a large beverage manufacturing company.  She holds a Degree in Health Sciences (Ergonomics) and a Diploma of Business Management and is also a qualified auditor, trainer and investigator.

When not working or supporting calisthenics Jess enjoys photography, watching and participating in musical theatre and watching great films / television.

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Deputy Chair – Keira Cowell

When Keira began her career as a calisthenics coach, she also began her connection to the VCCA. She has always been involved with the VCCA in some way and has held almost every position on the committee, from Minutes Secretary to President over the past 35 years! She has been a Life Member of the association since 1996.

In her most recent role of Coach Education Administrator, Keira has enjoyed getting to know many young coaches and providing seminars and workshops aimed at helping to continue to raise the standard of coaching in Victoria.

Having been involved in Calisthenics for more than 50 years, Keira is a well-known and respected member of the calisthenics community. Keira proudly spent all of her calisthenics years as a pupil at Dorset Calisthenics College, and at 18, Keira became a Coach.  After gaining coaching experience at Dorset and other clubs, she opened her own club, Lotus Calisthenics, which she ran for 21 years. It was only in 2015 that Keira stepped down from Lotus as Principal Coach, ending a huge era in her life.

Keira’s professional life merged with her passion for calisthenics, as she was a Performing Arts Teacher for 30 years at a number of schools across Melbourne. Stepping onto the Board seemed a natural step for Keira and she has contributed to the progression of the sport in this way since 2015.

Keira was awarded a Life Membership to Calisthenics Victoria in 2018.

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Director of Finance – Wayne Pennell

Wayne has an extensive Corporate Finance background that spans over 30 years, including 15 years at BHP. An experienced Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary, Wayne brings with him international experience, an extensive technical accounting skill set, business transformation experience, a best practice mindset and a background in ensuring sound financial governance. Wayne also holds a B.A (Degree) in Accounting and FCPA membership.

Sport has always been part of Wayne’s life and for a number of years he represented South Australia in table tennis. He has held a number of positions within sporting organisations, including being an Auskick coach for 5 years, a junior football coach, Treasurer of the Murrumbeena Junior Football Club and an Auditor for the Brighton District Table Tennis Club.

When not working or supporting his children’s sporting interests Wayne enjoys cycling with friends, golf and watching sport live or on TV.

Julie began adjudicating in 1971, became a Level 1 Adjudicator in 1993, the inaugural year of accreditation, and an Advanced Level 2 Adjudicator in 1997. She has adjudicated the National Championships on three occasions, has extensive experience in adjudicating at RSSS (since 1976), CVI and many other Victorian and interstate competitions. Julie was appointed as an ACF Skills Examiner to Gold Medal level in 1985, and redeveloped the aesthetic and dance sections of the program. In 1995, and she was appointed as an inaugural member of the ACF Examiners’ Advisory Board in 2000.

Julie commenced calisthenics at age 8 and joined Clifton Calisthenic College at age 15 where she enjoyed many successful years as a championship performer being coached by Miss Vera Hopton B.E.M. At the age of 17 Julie won the prestigious Royal South Street Graceful Girl title. She then went on to coach all age groups at this very successful Championship class.

In 2006 Julie was awarded the ACF Official of the Year, and in 2015 awarded a life membership to Calisthenics Victoria. Julie was awarded Life Membership of the Australian Society of Calisthenic Adjudicators Victoria in 2018, and is a life member of the Royal Academy of Dance.

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General Member – Claudia Haeger

Sport has always been part of Claudia’s life, from tennis, golf, yoga and pilates to the training she is currently undertaking to complete her 5th Marathon. As sport tends to do, it has also crossed over into her professional life where she is currently the Head of Operations at Tennis Victoria.

As Head of Operations at Tennis Vic, Claudia’s responsibilities include the oversight of all operations of the organisation, as well as supporting the Audit & Risk and Nominations Committees. In a voluntary capacity, Claudia is a committee member of the Very Special Kids Foundation, South Yarra Primary School treasurer as well as an Investment & Finance committee member of the Hawthorn Community Chest. She is also a Non-Executive Director of First Samuel and a member of their Audit & Risk Committee.

Claudia’s professional career has involved multiple leadership positions in businesses across investment management, institutional banking, sport and the real estate industry. This has included over twenty years of experience in influencing strategic planning, facilitating the success of high-performing teams, and overseeing community partnerships whilst located in London, Singapore and Australia.

Claudia holds a MA degree in Economics & Geography from the University of Edinburgh and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.
When not working or supporting her son Joshua’s sporting interests, Claudia enjoys catching up with friends over a game of tennis or golf.

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General Member – Emma Iles

Emma joined the Calisthenics Victoria Board as a General member in 2018. She is also a member of the Audit and Risk committee.

Emma has a long history with calisthenics, having started the sport at age 3 and competing for over 20 years. During this time she was a member of the Victorian State Team for 12 years and an active competitor in graceful solos. In 2005 she won the Graceful Girl competition at Royal South Street and in 2006 completed her Gold Medal with Honours.  Emma has also been a coach for over 10 years, having coached both teams and solos. In 2019 Emma moved into a new role in the calisthenics world, as a mother, with her daughter starting Tinies.

Professionally, Emma is a solicitor specialising in intellectual property disputes. She holds degrees in both Law (Honours) and Biomedical Science, she also has a Masters of Commercial Law.

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General Member – Samantha Lukey

Sammi’s name is synonymous with calisthenics, having been a performer since the age of 2, with her involvement spanning many facets of our sport including loyal club member, performer at the Championship and national level and coach of all age groups as well as the Victorian State Team several times.

Those who know Sammi, speak highly of her, not just for her outstanding achievements in the sport, but for the approach she takes to everything in life. Sammi’s commitment to developing each performer to the best of their abilities, to building an environment that embodies a sense of team, and to conducting herself with professionalism extends well beyond calisthenics and into her professional life where she is currently the Injury Management Coordinator at one of Australia’s leading pharmaceutical distributors, API Limited.

As the parent company for some of Australian’s leading brands like Priceline Pharmacy and Clearskin Clinics, Sammi’s work expands across teams in Australia and New Zealand coordinating systems for more than 600 employees.

Sammi’s career has seen her effectively lead teams, be responsible for working both autonomously and within legislation to guide decision making and strive for continual improvement in all that she does.

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General Member – Margaret Sprague

Margaret has been involved with Calisthenics for the past 59 years, in varying roles. Margaret’s involvement in Calisthenics began at St Cecilia’s Calisthenic Club, before she moved to Minerva Calisthenic College. She currently has granddaughters at Merinda and Bundoora. Margaret and her daughters, Vanessa and Toni, have run the Northern District Calisthenic Competitions for the past 15 years.

Margaret founded Bundoora Calisthenics Club in 1968, of which she is a Life Member.  She has also held a position on the Grading Committee and been a Victorian Competitions representative. Margaret was awarded Volunteer of the Year in 2012.

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General Member – Dr Leeanda Wilton

Leeanda was a calisthenics competitor for almost 25 years, beginning at Chelsea Calisthenics at age four before moving to Regent Calisthenics College as an Intermediate. She has been a graceful girl soloist, an assistant coach, solo coach and an adjudicator’s writer. In 2015 she was appointed as a Calisthenics Victoria Ambassador.

Professionally, Leeanda has a PhD, specialising in human infertility and genetics. She is a Churchill Fellow and was Scientific Director of an internationally recognised scientific research laboratory for almost 20 years, winning numerous national and international prizes for her work.

Leeanda has extensive experience as a non-executive director, serving on the Board of The Fertility Society of Australia, of which she is a Life Member, the Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis International Society and the Victorian Infertility Treatment Authority, amongst others.

Leeanda knows that the skills of self-confidence and performing she learnt as a calisthenics competitor contributed to her career success. She is delighted to be appointed to the Calisthenics Victoria Board and welcomes the opportunity to give back to the sport she loves.