Our Coaching Team
John
Co-Founder & Head Coach
John is the Co-Founder and Head Coach of Next Gen Athletics, as well as a professional Australian sprinter and Level 3 Athletics Australia Performance Coach.
His involvement in sport began from a young age, competing across athletics, football, rugby league and union, tennis and cricket before choosing to focus exclusively on athletics at 16. Since then, John has competed at some of the highest levels of Australian athletics, becoming a three-time AAGPS Champion, breaking AAGPS Open records in the 200m and 4x100m, winning the 100m at the 2016 Australian All Schools Championships, and representing Australia internationally between 2020 and 2024.
John currently competes across the 100m, 200m and 400m, specialising in the 200m, while continuing to pursue his own goals at the highest level of the sport.
His coaching journey began at just 13 years old when he was invited to assist with coaching younger tennis players. That early experience developed into a passion for helping athletes improve, eventually leading him into athletics coaching and the creation of Next Gen Athletics alongside Mikayla Mestousis in 2021.
John's coaching philosophy has been shaped by years of learning under some of Australia's most respected athletics coaches, including Nancy Atterton, Ben Gavan, Penny Gillies and Andrew Murphy. Their influence has helped shape his approach to technical development, discipline, confidence, athlete management and individualised programming.
As Head Coach, John oversees the coaching direction and athlete development pathway at Next Gen Athletics while working across group sessions, private coaching, sprint development, jumps, strength and conditioning, competition preparation and individual athlete programming.
John's approach centres around combining high coaching standards with an environment athletes genuinely enjoy being part of. He believes every athlete should understand what they are working on, why they are doing it and how it contributes to their long-term development.
As Next Gen Athletics continues to grow, John remains focused on building a coaching program that provides athletes of all ages and abilities with access to the same level of care, expertise and attention that has shaped his own journey in the sport.
Eleni
Assistant Head Coach
Eleni is the Assistant Head Coach at Next Gen Athletics and has been part of the Next Gen community from almost the very beginning.
Before stepping into an official coaching role, Eleni trained with Next Gen Athletics for several years and developed alongside many of the athletes she now helps coach. That background gives her a strong understanding of the environment, culture and coaching standards that Next Gen Athletics has been built around.
Throughout her own athletics journey, Eleni has competed across sprint, jumping and throwing events, giving her valuable experience across multiple areas of the sport. More recently, she completed her Level 2 Athletics Australia Coaching Accreditation and transitioned into a formal coaching role within the program.
Eleni brings a calm, positive and encouraging presence to every session. She communicates extremely well with athletes of different ages and abilities, and has a strong ability to make athletes feel comfortable while still maintaining high standards.
As Assistant Head Coach, Eleni helps lead group sessions, delivers private coaching and supports the overall athlete experience across the week. She also plays an important role in helping sessions run smoothly, supporting younger and less experienced athletes, and maintaining the positive training culture that Next Gen Athletics is known for.
Her progression from athlete to coach has been a natural one, and her involvement represents an important part of the next stage of Next Gen Athletics as the coaching team continues to grow.
We’re incredibly proud to have Eleni in a leadership role within the program and excited for our athletes to continue benefiting from her experience, energy and support.