Live. Learn. Ride.

What we do

ACA is all about creating a better future for Australian cyclists, on and off the bike. We value life balance, hard work and loving what you do, and believe that a positive team culture is the best platform for success.

The Australian Cycling Academy is a not-for-profit cycling development program and UCI Continental Professional team ARA I Skip Capital founded by former professional cyclists Ben Kersten and Matt Wilson.

Our ethos is ‘creating a better future for Australian cyclists, on and off the bike’. With the ACA, athletes have the unique opportunity to live, learn and ride. This creates better outcomes for our athletes, and a brighter future for our sport.

Integrating high-performance, tertiary study and professional mentoring, from a single hub at the University of the Sunshine Coast; this is a new generation for Australian cycling.

We value life balance, hard work and loving what you do, and believe that a positive team culture is the best platform for success.

From our Sunshine Coast base, the ACA also supports local industry and tourism, operating full service training camps, online coaching, a school education initiative and other community based cycling projects.

How we do it

The journey for the ACA started with a vision to provide young cyclists with the best environment to reach their potential in cycling and beyond. The ACA’s athlete-centric model integrates high-performance, tertiary study and professional mentoring, from a single hub at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

As part of the ACA, the ARA I Skip Capital Continental Professional team compete in a comprehensive national and international racing program, delivering high-level race experience for athletes. We are committed to providing a genuine pathway to professional cycling.

The ACA’s alignment with the University of the Sunshine Coast’s High-Performance Sports Precinct offers athletes an integrated approach to training and studying. ACA athletes have full access to UniSC’s world-class facilities.

The ACA’s tertiary scholarship program, run in coordination with UniSC, aligns young athletes with professional mentors, and assists athletes with the costs of tertiary study.

With ideal geography and climate, and a reputation as one of the sporting capitals of Australia, the Sunshine Coast provides the perfect backdrop for the program and the team’s ethos of balancing hard work with a healthy lifestyle.