Dr Alison O'Riordan is the director of AOR Sports Consultancy. 

Alison is a sport, exercise and physical activity professional and educator with over thirty years’experience in varying positions within the public and private sectors in Australia, the UK and Ireland.   

Alison has a PhD in sports biomechanics and is a qualified educator, applying both of these specialisms when working on athlete and coach development. She is a world leader in Seated Throws research and regularly presents globally to National Paralympic Committees and National Governing Bodies. 

Alison is an Athletics Australia Level 5 (Master) and a British Athletics Level 3 coach and has successfully coached a number of Paralympic and World Championship medalists. She is currently the Para Athletics Technical Lead for Paralympics Ireland and is the Head Coach of AOR Squad, her own squad of Para throwers.

She has held a number of professional positions, including:

• Technical Lead, Para Athletics, Paralympics Ireland
• National Throws Coach, Paralympics Ireland
• High Performance Throws Coach for the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)
• National Event Lead for Throws and Coach Education Co-ordinator with the Athletics Australia Paralympic Preparation Program (AA-PPP).
• Former member of the Athletics Australia Coach Advisory Commission.

Since returning to the UK in mid 2011, Alison has undertaken a number consultancies for England Athletics and British Athletics. She continues to support and promote disabled and Paralympic throwers through her own coaching squad, and by developing and mentoring coaches and athletes. She  also worked with  the charity Remap designing an adjustable seated throwing frame, the Protean STF,  for athletics club use. 

More recently consultancies have included becoming a UKAD Non-Executive Board member after seven years as a National Trainer for theM. She is also an Associate Lecturer with the Open University and Associate Coach Developer with UK Coaching.

Alison will shortly be heading into 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, her sixth Paralympics as a team or personal coach. This time with Team Ireland.

Alison has worked  or consulted for the following  organisations:

• Athletics Australia
• Australian Institute of Sport
• British Athletics
• England Athletics
• Help for Heroes
• Channel 4
• UK Anti Doping
• World Academy of Sport
• Paralympics Ireland
• UK Coaching