Inside SRA: Meet the Team + What We’re Working On
Behind the Weights at SRA
At SRA Sports Therapy, we’re not just another training facility. We’re a community high performance hub built on the core values of belief, discipline, and ownership. Whether you’re stepping through our doors in Lilydale or joining our newest satellite programs, you’re entering a culture where performance meets culture. Every athlete who walks through our doors will quickly realise that SRA is about more than just sets, reps and exercises, it’s a community of like minded people who want to get the best out of themselves.
Meet the Team:
Shaun Atkins:
The founder and director of SRA Sports Therapy, has over 10 years experience working with athletes across basketball. netball, football, boxing, ballet, ultimate frisbee and slalom kayaking. His journey began with four years as a Sports Trainer at North Melbourne Football Club, where he gained invaluable insight into the discipline and resilience needed at the elite level.
Since then, he has privately coached more than ten Australian-level athletes while completing extensive studies in Strength & Conditioning, Sports Therapy, Remedial Massage and Business. Drawing on his own background as a high-level basketball player in Australia and the US, Shaun understands the importance of mindset, support, and training. His mission at SRA is to help athletes thrive as performers, leaders, and people beyond sport.
James Elwin:
A highly experienced physiotherapist who recently relocated to Melbourne after years of practice in Canberra. With expertise in sports and musculoskeletal physiotherapy, he has worked with athletes across cricket, rugby, soccer, and AFL, including roles with Cricket ACT and St Edmund’s College Rugby Club. Currently a member of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation medical team, James is committed to supporting high-performance sport.
He is passionate about helping individuals return to peak performance through accurate diagnosis, evidence-based treatment, and tailored rehabilitation, using manual therapy, dry needling, exercise prescription, and education to prevent injuries. Outside the clinic, James enjoys gym training, playing local footy, and spending time in Vietnam at his gym, CrossFit Lotus.
Ben Galea:
Ben has been a part of the SRA family for over 5 years and now serves as our High-Performance Manager. Starting out as an athlete, he quickly recognised the value of strength and conditioning, completing a 12-month mentorship at SRA and further studies in the field while gaining hands-on experience in the gym. Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Exercise & Sports Science at Deakin University, he combines academic knowledge with practical application to support athlete development. Benjamin was also an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Ariels VNL Netball program, where he tailored training for athletes at scale. At SRA, he oversees staff and athletes, sets goals, manages schedules, tracks performance, and drives our high-performance culture.
Rahni Samason:
With over a decade of elite netball experience, Rahni brings high-performance knowledge and insight to her role at SRA. She spent three seasons with the Melbourne Vixens in the Suncorp Super Netball League and competed in New Zealand’s ANZ Premiership with the Northern Stars in 2024.
Her journey with SRA began as an athlete, where overcoming injuries sparked her passion for strength and conditioning. Holding a double degree from Monash University and accreditations in Netball and Strength & Conditioning, Rahni combines academic expertise with athletic experience to support athlete development. Alongside SRA, she is Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Montrose Football Club, empowering athletes to reach their full potential through intelligent and sustainable training.
Harry Stones:
Harry has a strong passion and focus on athlete development, performance, and injury prevention. I run our Junior Athlete Development Program, teaching young athletes the foundations of strength, movement, and injury prevention for success on the court or field. My background includes captaining the Vic Country State Basketball Team, winning a silver medal at Nationals, and signing as an NBL1 athlete with the Eltham Wildcats. These experiences fuel my passion for helping athletes translate gym work into game-day performance.
What We’re Working On
Expanding Programs Across Melbourne
We’ve launched a Junior Athlete Development Program in Melbourne’s North East, delivered through a new partnership with the Diamond Valley Basketball Association, targeting athletes U12-U18 to boost strength, speed, power, resilience, and injury prevention—all tailored for basketball performance.
New In House Program
We’ve developed a 12-Week Off-Season Strength & Conditioning Program for football athletes, designed to build speed, power, strength, athleticism, and resilience. The program provides personalised coaching, accountability, and expert guidance to ensure you get fitter, stronger, and more confident before pre-season. Every athlete receives individual goal-setting, 3 x 4-week personalised strength blocks, a full running program, weekly speed sessions, 24/7 gym and recovery access, bi-weekly accountability check-ins, mid- and end-term progress reporting, discounted physiotherapy support, and exclusive SRA merchandise. All tailored to help them perform at your best.
Partnerships & Community Engagement
Oxley Christian College Basketball Academy: We’ve teamed up to offer an 8-week Junior Basketball Academy for Years 7-10, blending on-court coaching with off-court athletic development to shape well-rounded resilience and performance.
Our Deuce Brand Australia partnership continues to thrive: Deuce Brand sponsors our monthly quiz and offers a 40% discount to the SRA community, use the code SRA40. Another way we’re building value and engagement beyond training.
Final Word
At SRA, transparency isn’t just a buzzword, it’s how we strengthen trust, build relationships and cultivate a supportive community. From showcasing our staff to new programs and partnerships across Melbourne, our goal is for our community to feel connected and informed.
If you’re reading this and thinking “How can I get involved?”, don’t hesitate to reach out. Whether you’re an athlete, parent, coach, healthcare professional or just curious about our brand and services. Contact us via phone or email and let’s start that conversation.