Questions related to recent N Willis article, Sparc, etc

"Much has been made of Sparc's relationship with individual athletes of late, initiated by the Ben Fouhy saga, but Willis says he's had no problems.

They have been amazing. Athletics New Zealand and Sparc give me the green light to do what I please. As long as it is within reason, they support it; I'm blessed not to be tied down. Hopefully they consider I repay them, not just with my performance on the track but also by returning to promote the sport."

A google search yielded nothing simple and useful to me - I'm wondering what Sparc is, what happened with Ben Fouhy, and any other relevant details for why it was mentioned in the interview.

Thanks.