AIS support fuels Madison Hoffman’s Olympic comeback
When injury cut her Olympic dreams short just days before the Beijing 2022 Games, Madison Hoffman turned to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to help her get back on track.
When injury cut her Olympic dreams short just days before the Beijing 2022 Games, Madison Hoffman turned to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to help her get back on track.
Now the 25-year-old alpine skier has been named to make her Olympic debut at Milano Cortina.
It’s an achievement Hoffman says is “extra special” after facing years of setbacks, including a double-knee reconstruction in December 2024 that saw her spend 14 weeks based at the AIS in Canberra as part of the Intensive Rehabilitation (IR) program.
During that time, Hoffman worked through a tailored program supported by expert practitioners across medical, physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, recovery, biomechanics and physiology.
“I chose to come to the AIS because I wanted somewhere that had everything under one roof,” Hoffman said.
“When I first came, I wasn't the most mobile athlete; I was just relearning to walk and do basic tasks, so having everything close by was a really big plus.”
AIS Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach Taylah Jack, who worked closely with Hoffman throughout her rehabilitation, says the collaborative input from different practitioners is a major strength of the IR program.
“Based on the nature of intensive rehab, we would spend on average three to five hours a day together across morning and afternoon sessions, five-six days a week. Each session had a specific emphasis and allowed us to microdose strength, conditioning and integration of sport-specific work across the week,” Jack explained.
“Having access to a multidisciplinary team that works collaboratively is a crucial part of the way we want to work here at the AIS.
“It allows us to get athletes up and running, maximise their rehabilitation and return them to sport as efficiently as possible.”
After regaining her confidence on the slopes, Hoffman now turns her focus to her Olympic debut, where the support continues at the AIS European Training Centre in Italy - set to be the home away from home for the Australian Winter Olympic Team ahead of the Games.