Each year, the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and the Office for Women provides Sport Leadership Grants and Scholarships to support the development of women within the sporting system.

South Australian Carly Williams has been fortunate enough to receive a grant under the 2010-11 program to support her coaching career in cycling.

The grant has made it possible for Carly to complete her Level 1 Cycling Coaching Accreditation course as well as health and nutrition training. The accreditation course has been developed by Cycling Australia in accordance with ASC guidelines to educate, assist and develop coaches in the field of cycling.

'My aim is to both improve my own level of knowledge about optimum cycling performance as well as to arm myself with the skills to assist others in achieving their goals,' Carly said. 'I hope to gain coaching accreditation that will allow me to work with Cycling Inform on the remote coaching program, in a coaching role.'

Carly took up competitive cycling five years ago and has more recently started to train and race on the road.

'Cycling has helped me to turn my life around and to gain control of my health and fitness,' she said. 'I used to be unfit, unhealthy and overweight but now I can race competitively in cycling endurance events; it’s a massive personal achievement.'

Carly’s most memorable achievement was in 2007 when she spent ten days riding across the French Pyrenees, riding up to 90 kilometres everyday and climbing some of the toughest mountains.

'I never thought I would be able to do that when I first started riding,' she said.

Carly hopes the coaching accreditation will allow her to be more involved in the cycling industry. 

'My interest in coaching is not so much on the elite development level, but more so working with everyday people who want to get the best out of themselves.'

The Sport Leadership Grants and Scholarships for Women program aims to boost the number of women in leadership roles and increase their representation on national sporting organisation boards from current levels of just 25 per cent.