Board of Management

Phil Alchin

Phil has extensive involvement in the sport of athletics in a wide range of roles and capacities. For Little Athletics Phil has been a committee member of Woden Little Athletics Club from 2003 to 2015. This includes being President from 2004-2007. Phil also served as a member of the Little Athletics ACT Board from 2007-2015. In 2016 Phil was awarded Life Membership in recognition of his contribution to Little Athletics ACT.
Phil served as President of the Woden Athletics Club from 2016-2023 and on the Athletics ACT Board on two occasions 2015-2017 and again from 2021. Phil is also a Level 3 accredited coach with his own squad of athletes.

Phil spent 32 years working in the Commonwealth Public Service in policy development and Commonwealth/state relations.

Paul Carr

Paul brings over 30 years of business leadership and financial management experience, with expertise in governance, strategic planning, and IT systems. A qualified accountant and former CPA, Paul has managed budgets and teams across various industries, including the public service and construction. In athletics, he has served as a committee member and life member of Mingara Regional Athletics Club, as well as a seven-year member of the ANSW Competition Advisory Panel. A sprint and hurdles coach, qualified official, and 2024 National Masters gold medallist, Paul is dedicated to advancing athletics and has experience in organisational mergers and program development.

Tara McIntosh

Tara previously was the Marketing and Public Relations Director of Little Athletics ACT. Since her election in 2021, Tara has made a valuable contribution to her portfolio including the primary school challenge, pre-season marketing and arranging radio coverage of our sport. Tara along with other directors from both organisations worked on the Capital Athletics Strategic Framework. Tara is also a member of the Lanyon Little Athletics Centre.

Outside of athletics Tara works in the Commonwealth Public Service in the Digital/Communications space.

Karen Billington

Karen is a passionate advocate for community sport and an avid trail runner, ocean swimmer, and road cyclist. Over the past five years, she has been actively involved with Woden Thunder Athletics, assisting with registrations and supporting young athletes as an Age Manager. Her deep connection to the ACT athletics community, combined with her extensive leadership experience in governance, finance, and strategic planning, makes her an invaluable addition to the Board.

Professionally, Karen has spent more than 20 years in management consulting and strategic growth. She has also held various governance roles across community organisations, demonstrating her strong commitment to building sustainable and inclusive sporting communities. She believes in the power of sport to foster resilience, connection, and wellbeing, and we’re excited to have her bring that passion to Capital Athletics.

Lyle Dahms

Lyle has worked for the Australian Government for 30 years in mostly financial management, accounting, and investment analysis roles. He is a member of CPA Australia and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has extensive experience in the not-for-profit sector including as chair of the Black Mountain School Board and as treasurer for a variety of community and sporting groups. He has been involved in sport throughout his life as an athlete, coach, official, and volunteer from community participation to national representation. He has been actively involved in athletics in Canberra since his children commenced at Corroboree Athletics over 10 years ago. He remains active in the sport as a Technical Official, coach, and club administrator.

Chloe Hosking

Chloe is a Commonwealth Games gold medallist and seasoned professional cyclist with over 14 years of international competition experience. A multiple stage winner in events like the Tour de France Femmes and Giro Rosa, Chloe is renowned for her leadership, determination, and advocacy for equality in sport, particularly women’s cycling. Alongside her athletic career, Chloe completed a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) in 2015 and a Juris Doctor in 2024, and she was admitted to legal practice in August 2024.

Currently a Policy Officer for Women’s Football at FIFPRO, Chloe advocates for player rights and contributes to advancing the women’s game globally. She previously gained extensive experience at Synergy Group, where she led the firm’s sports governance service and supported organisations in governance, safeguarding, and integrity matters. Chloe’s grit and passion for driving change across sport, law, and business make her a dynamic and inspiring contributor to any board.

Vanessa Low

Vanessa is no stranger to the athletics world. A multiple Paralympic and world champion, she has consistently pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in para-athletics. Holding world records and Paralympic gold medals in long jump, Vanessa’s achievements speak for themselves. But beyond the medals, she brings a wealth of experience in high-performance sport, resilience, and athlete development.

Her dedication to excellence and her passion for creating opportunities for athletes of all backgrounds make her an incredible asset to the Capital Athletics Board. We’re excited to have her on board as we continue to grow and strengthen athletics in the ACT.

Matthew Watkins

Matt is an experienced executive and authentic leader, working over 28 years as a management consultant with proven experience and results achieved advising at the highest levels of government and the private sector, in Australia and the UK. He brings the Capital Athletics board experience in strategy, governance and performance management, enterprise risk management, digital and data, innovation, and operations. His passion for athletics stems from his and his son's experiences participating as a junior athlete.