Working as an elite athlete

Flexible work lets me thrive in the office and on sports

Ashleigh Werner is a Senior Analyst at Accenture as well as having represented Australia as a bobsleigh pilot and the Brisbane Broncos in the last NRLW season. With a demanding training and competition schedule, she shares her story of how Accenture gave her the support and flexibility to thrive in all areas of her life.

Sport has always been a part of my life. When I was younger, I was a swimmer and a track runner before getting into netball and touch football. I also love rock climbing and I was a high-level rugby 7s and 15s player before I came into bobsleigh in the 2016–17 season. After qualifying for the 2022 Beijing Games and missing out due to COVID, I decided to take a season away from the Ice. I was looking for another outlet for training and someone suggested I have a crack at League, as the pathways for female athletes are amazing. I went down to training session and really loved being back on the footy field. That session led to a contract for the NSW Harvey Norman Competition, which ultimately ended up with an NRLW contract for the Brisbane Broncos.  

Being an elite athlete obviously means a demanding training schedule, and I initially thought that working a corporate job would mean the end of my athletic career. But Accenture has provided me with an incredible level of flexibility.

In the lead up to the 2022 Winter Olympics, when I was training extensively, as well as attending overseas competitions, Accenture was able to support me with an extended break to prioritise my training. As well as this, when I received my contract offer for NRLW, I had a catch up with a mentor and Senior Manager of mine, who encouraged me to take it. I was worried about what it would mean for my work, but he not only supported my flexible work options and my athletic career, but also saw the value I bring to the teams I am on. He helped me find my current project and everyone I work with now is incredibly supportive. I love the team and the work, and it means I can organise my work schedule around my training and game schedule, which is incredibly handy as I have to travel most weekends to play. I am very thankful to everyone I get to interact with as they make it possible for me to not only have two careers, but to continue growing in both. 

Throughout my whole Accenture career, all my managers have always encouraged me to adjust my schedule. When they could see that I was burnt out, they proactively came to me with solutions, and even though I would feel bad having to leave early, they all continue to support me and encourage me. I remember in 2017, I was training for a few hours early in the morning before arriving in the office at 8am, then returning to training after work. I wasn’t getting any down time to rest and recover, and my manager could see that this wasn’t sustainable. They encouraged me to finish work at 3pm so I could work around my training schedule, instead of the other way around. This was just one example of some of the support I have had.

Devastatingly, despite my team and I qualifying for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, I came down with COVID and was ultimately unable to represent Australia. Despite that, it was an incredible season with seven months away, eight medals, a World Cup debut and a lot of personal growth. I ended the season ranked 20th overall in the world, and I’m incredibly proud of how far I’ve come. Moving into NRLW has proved new challenges and opportunities and I’m so grateful to have Accenture’s support through the whole experience.

Accenture appreciates the transferrable skills elite athletes have
I think one of the reasons why Accenture is so supportive of elite athletes like me and give us the support to combine work and training, is that they realise how much we bring to the organisation. Professional athletes don’t succeed just because they’re talented. They are high-achievers, self-determined and will work hard to deliver their best. This attitude translates well into the workplace.

Succeeding as an athlete isn’t just about training our bodies. It’s also about developing great communication skills and being a team player, which are incredibly valuable skills in a professional environment. We’re also great facilitators and speakers, which sets you up for a range of business scenarios, from client meetings to training seminars.

Accenture sees all these skills and attributes that athletes bring and celebrates them. That’s why Accenture partners with the Minerva Network , which helps female athletes transition to corporate careers by establishing pathways and identifying how their interests off the field can be best supported by the skillsets they have. The Minerva Network partners athletes with mentors like Louise May, Managing Director and Client Group Lead for H&PS, Accenture ANZ. I have loved having a corporate mentor through Minerva. It helped so much with setting myself up for adjacent careers and for pursuing a life after sport (which I know I will need — even if I don’t want to admit it). It was helpful to be able to bounce ideas off someone with regards to ‘how do I word this email asking about xyz’ to even ‘Is it okay to ask to work flexibly?’. I didn’t’ have much experience in the corporate world when I started working at Accenture and having someone I could talk to about everything and get advice from was so helpful for me. Having the support of Minerva and my fellow athletes has really helped me to see that I can do both and there are people I can talk to going through similar experiences. Becoming a mentor myself down the track is something I’d love to do because I feel I have a lot of experience I’d love to help pass on to others. If I can do for someone else what my mentor did for me, I feel like I have made a difference.

I’m seen as a whole person, not just an athlete
My whole life, I’ve identified as an athlete and I wasn’t sure when I joined Accenture how I’d reconcile that with wanting to perform at work. But being able to kick goals in other areas of my life, and have my skills celebrated differently, has given me a deeper confidence in who I am and the value I can offer. I’m a professional athlete – but that’s not who I am as a whole person.

As well as working and training, I’m also completing my Master of Business Psychology – I guess you could say that I like to be busy! This qualification will allow me to give more value back to Accenture as I continue to develop my career.

At the moment, I am focusing on Rugby League and relocating to Brisbane at the end of May for the next NRLW season which kicks off in July.

I know I won’t  be able to do this forever, so knowing I’ll have a promising career that I’m able to pursue after is a load off my mind. I love that Accenture doesn’t make me try to fit into a mould, but instead makes me feel valued for everything I bring to the organisation, and this only inspires me to work harder.