Millie Evans awarded Female Coach Academy Award for 2025

Millie Evans has been named the 2025 Female Coach Academy Award winner, recognising a coach whose impact on the Australian freeski community extends far beyond technical development. 

As Freeski and Head Dryland Coach at Mount Hotham Freeski (MHFS), Millie has built her coaching philosophy around continuous growth, meaningful athlete relationships, and fostering an environment where every skier feels seen, supported and inspired.

Over the past several years, Millie has dedicated herself to becoming the best coach she can be, actively pursuing education both in Australia and overseas. 

“It means so much to me to be recognised for this award,” Evans said. 

“I have been working really hard for the past four or five years to become the best coach I can be, and while I still have a long way to go, it’s a great indicator that I’m on the right track. 

“As freeski is still a growing sport here in Australia, I have chosen to do much of my professional development in Canada using the Canadian freestyle system, and I hope to bring back and share that knowledge with fellow Aussie coaches.”

Millie’s coaching journey has been shaped by moments of self-driven opportunity, times when she realised that progress would only come from actively seeking growth. 

“One of the big moments was the realisation that nobody will hand me opportunities,” she said. 

“To grow and learn, I must seek that out, and sometimes that means going a little off book.” 

This mindset led her to step back from full-time duties at MHFS to gain broader experience, including shadowing elite coach Greg Janneau, judging Victorian and National Interschools slopestyle competitions, and refining her competition coaching insight. 

Her time in the AIS ASPIRE program further strengthened her approach. 

“We did a lot of workshopping on values and who we are as coaches and as people,” she said.

“I now have set values that drive every decision I make and that helps me stay true to myself and guide my decisions.”

A passionate advocate for women and girls in sport, Millie initiated the ‘Women in Sport’ program at MHFS, aiming to address the alarming number of girls leaving sport during adolescence. 

She has helped create spaces where young women can see pathways in the industry beyond being an athlete, whether in coaching, leadership, judging or sport administration. 

“The initiative is still in its early days and evolving over time,” she said. 

“The motivation came from the staggering statistics about young girls quitting sports. 

“We aim to foster a lifelong love for sport and promote all the different avenues within the ski industry. 

“We need both men and women to come together and be on the same page. The male coaches I work with also attend these events and join these conversations. We won’t ever be able to achieve anything alone.” 

With two female coaches now part of the Hotham Freeski program, she has already seen a rise in the number of girls joining and staying in the sport. 

“It’s hard to be what you can’t see,” she said.

“And I take my role as a coach and my ability to be visible as both an honour and a driving force.”

Millie’s own experience as a young slopestyle athlete deeply influences the way she coaches today. Growing up in a time when female coaching role models in Australia were scarce, she found guidance through her male coaches, who invested the time to truly understand her. 

“They made me feel incredibly understood and supported,” she said. 

“In slopestyle there is a lot of trust involved between a coach and an athlete. Sometimes you need to hold athletes back so that when the time comes, they trust you when you say they’re ready. 

“Without knowing your athlete, it’s incredibly difficult to create that bond. I make a conscious effort to connect with my athletes so I can accurately support them, the way my coaches supported me.”

Her athlete centered approach has had a profound impact on the people she works with. Millie recalls moments that reaffirmed her commitment to coaching, a member of the Australian Aerials team telling her they had never felt more heard or understood by a coach, and a young athlete who listed Millie among the five people she was most grateful for in her life. 

“Both moments brought me to tears,” she said. 

“Both athletes are female, and I know firsthand how hard it can be as a young girl in such a male-dominated sport. 

“I strive to create an environment where everyone feels safe and supported, and where young girls have someone to look up to.”

Her philosophy, seeing the person before the athlete, has been reinforced not only by the athletes she mentors but also by leaders in the industry. 

During her time at the AIS with the ASPIRE program, Millie had a one-on-one lunch with Matti Clements, Director of the AIS and champion of the Win Well Strategy. 

“We discussed the importance of mental health and longevity in sport,” she said. 

“To have my philosophy validated by not only athletes but leaders in the sport world was incredibly reassuring and helps keep me pushing in the right direction.”

Through her leadership, advocacy, and dedication to empowering the next generation of freeskiers, Millie is shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future for the sport.