Koror, Palau - Salaski's introduction to athletics came almost by accident. After seven years playing basketball in Serbia, a sport where his average height made professional aspirations unlikely, a friend convinced him to try a half marathon. "I wasn't good enough to become a professional basketball player," Salaski reflects honestly. "Basketball is a huge sport in Serbia, and it's very, very competitive. But my friend saw something in me during that half marathon and said I should really try track and field."

That casual suggestion in 2000 would reshape his life. Within months of joining Red Star Belgrade, one of Serbia's most prestigious athletic clubs, Salaski was winning local competitions and eventually representing his country's junior national team in the 800 meters. His transition from athlete to coach began in 2007 after completing his sports studies degree, starting with young athletes before gradually working with national-level competitors.

In 2018, Salaski and his wife relocated to California, where he now serves as assistant track and field coach at Laguna Hills High School while developing his own club, Eyas Track Club. It was this California connection that eventually led to his involvement with ONOC's Development Training Camps, a partnership that emerged through networking and careful research by ONOC officials seeking high-quality coaching in the Los Angeles area.

"There was a little bit of luck, but also there's no such thing as luck. I think it's all destiny," Salaski explains about how he became involved with the ONOC programme. The connection came through Greg Harney and Ricardo Blas, ONOC Secretary General, who were impressed by both Salaski's credentials and the world-class facilities available in South Orange County, strategically located near Los Angeles but away from the metropolitan area's logistical challenges.

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The pilot training camp in June 2025 brought athletes from Samoa and Tuvalu to California for ten intensive days of training. While Salaski acknowledges the timeframe was challenging—"10 days is not a lot of time, especially if you have to travel from across the world"—he was impressed by what he observed. Working with Samoan athlete Johnny Key and Tuvaluan sprinter Vaioleta Luka, he focused on fundamental improvements in technique and training methodology.

"With Vaioleta we improved her block starts and taught a lot of jumping techniques and strength training," Salaski notes. "Johnny being more developed, we worked on fine adjustments, improving his posture and stride length for a more fluid running form."

What struck Salaski most profoundly was the untapped potential he witnessed across the region. By attending the Pacific Mini Games in Palau, he observed athletes and coaches from across Oceania, leading to broader insights about regional athletic development. "Talent is present 100 percent. The level of athleticism can be significantly boosted to a whole other level," he emphasizes. "There's physique, there's strength, there's speed, there's power, everything is here with these athletes."

His coaching philosophy emphasizes that effective development requires understanding individual athletes rather than applying universal methods. "Every coach is best for an athlete that they align with. I cannot be the best coach for all athletes," he explains. "The coach that spends a lot of time with their athletes has more information about how to coach them better than anyone else." This collaborative, athlete-centered approach resonated strongly with Blas, whose shared belief in empowering local coaches was a key reason Salaski was invited to be a part of the June development training camp, and the Talent Identification programme at the Palau Pacific Mini Games.

As ONOC expands these programmes toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and beyond to Brisbane 2032, Salaski's cross-cultural approach may prove essential in unlocking some of the region's athletic potential.

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For more information about the 2025 Pacific Mini Games, visit;

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