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Episodes
Wednesday Apr 22, 2020
Wednesday Apr 22, 2020
We hope you and those close to your are safe and well.In this episode I spoke to Stef Reid, three-time Paralympic medallist, World Champion long jumper. Stef is a remarkable lady irrespective of the fact that at 15 years old she lost her leg to the rotor blade of a motorboat. For she has amongst her sporting accomplishments, also been a semi-finalist in Masterchef UK, was the first Paralympian to model in Vogue magazine and is Vice president of UK Athletics. You may be wondering with the Para games moved on a year, if she is still going for it – well in this discussion we find out that it’s a yes. We explore how she’s motivating herself during the lockdown and Stef, talks me through her horrific accident, her response, what helped her, who helped her, which wasn’t just her family but some tough loving health workers. We also talk about how she has made sense of her experience, emboldened her sense of self and to hear it was truly moving and uplifting.g.
Show notes
Delay to the Paralympics and the ramifications for athletes for a range of reasons
Stef’s coping mechanisms – ‘feel the feelings’
Adapting training due to COVID-19
Stef’s early sporting endeavour into rugby and ambitions to become a professional player
The accident
Processing the loss of the limb
The nurse that first challenged Stef and the thrill of having a poo!
Acceptance of the new Stef
The 2012 Paralympics changed everything
Bringing the whole package to sport
Running
The decision that sport wasn’t for Stef
World championships 3 years later!
Positive distractions
You can’t be too focussed on athletics, athletics can’t be your sole identity
Links
Not surprisingly Stef is a motivational speaker and if you’re thinking of someone to inspire your next event, take a look at http://www.stefreid.com/speaking
You can follow Stef on Twitter https://twitter.com/RunJumpStefReid
Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs
Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve
Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/
A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/
If you’re looking for some coaching support or some virtual team development help to support you to get to the next level in work, life or sport then take a look at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/coaching-mentoring/
or drop us a note at enquiries@supportingchampions.co.uk then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.
Friday Apr 10, 2020
Friday Apr 10, 2020
In this episode I talk to Dr Andrea Furst, performance psychologist at Mental Notes. Andrea has had a highly successful career supporting some of the highest performing teams to the highest performances. She has worked in Australia, where she originates from, Singapore and now based in the UK. She has supported the Australian kayak team, Singapore sailing, GB Hockey and is widely sought after in professional sports and supporting business leaders. Andrea brings a really grounded, pragmatic approach to her practice. She is thoughtful and intuitive, but shrewd and no nonsense. In this conversation we discuss some of the emotions and challenges everyday people and athletes will be experiencing during this lockdown period, what methods and ways of thinking can help people cope and thrive. What I really enjoyed about this conversation was not only hearing about the mental models and ideas that help people cope with change, but I was compelled by her approach of putting the human needs first on the path toward self-discovery.
Show notes
Andrea’s focus on adjusting to the new normal with challenge of COVID19
How the lack of deadlines effects our thinking
How we cope with change
Dealing with uncertainty
Staying present and the value of recognising our experiences
How investment in self-awareness and self-reflection nurtures the person and performance
Handling mavericks in team situations
Establishing buy-in and engagement with top performers
With the Olympics moved to next year what advice and support can help athletes re-focus
Links
You can follow Andrea on https://twitter.com/AndreaFurst
Have a look at her website https://mentalnotespsych.com/
Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs
Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve
Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/
A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/
If you’re looking for some coaching support or some virtual team development help to support you to get to the next level in work, life or sport then take a look at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/coaching-mentoring/
or drop us a note at enquiries@supportingchampions.co.uk then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.
Monday Apr 06, 2020
Monday Apr 06, 2020
The next few special episodes of the podcast will break away from the normal regularity as we capture, produce and air some relevant content to the COVID-19 crisis.
In this episode I talk to Professor Louise Burke, Chief of Nutrition Strategy at The Australian Institute of Sport, where she has led the nutrition support work for Australia since 1990. Louise is certainly one of the world’s leading dieticians, has been there and done it but uniquely has outstanding achievements in applied sport and research. I caught up with Louise to ask her about some of the big things people can be doing to ensure a healthy diet to support immune function and support training during the COVID-19 crisis and what people can do when their normal food choices aren’t necessarily available in the supermarkets anymore. I also take a brief opportunity to ask Louise about her key experiences and lessons learnt from an illustrious career in support of elite performance at the Australian Institute of Sport.
Show notes
The new normal for a while - perhaps we can think about what is important and what isn’t…to recalibrate, during COVID-19
Team Australia, what are they up to now?
Grateful for an extra year to prepare for Tokyo 2021
Why we eat what we eat?
Disordered eating during this COVID-19 crisis
The complexity of habits beliefs and behaviours around diet
What can we do in these uncertain times to ensure we are nutritionally looking after ourselves
Planning menus for a week being more resourceful with the ingredients we have
This is a great time for exercise and ensuring nutrition supports health
The change in the Australian Institute of Sport
Supernova research camp
Project Supernova lack of resources ensured that Louise needed to find a new way or working
Having a good relationship with athletes and coaches
Periodising carbohydrate
Making the coaches and athletes part of the team
Links
You can follow Louise on Twitter https://twitter.com/LouiseMBurke
Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs
Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve
Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/
A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/
If you’re looking for some coaching support or some virtual team development help to support you to get to the next level in work, life or sport then take a look at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/coaching-mentoring/
or drop us a note at enquiries@supportingchampions.co.uk then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.
Friday Mar 27, 2020
Friday Mar 27, 2020
Phil Skiba on exercise and health during COVID-19 crisis
The next few special episodes of the podcast will break away from the normal regularity as we capture, produce and air some relevant content to the COVID-19 crisis.
In today’s special episode I talk to Dr Phil Skiba, Director of Sports Medicine for the Advocate Aurora Medical Group in Chicago, one of the largest in the United States and one of sharpest people I know – a true polymath, about the current crisis, his observations, his advice about us for general health, staying physically fit and training and more broadly our responsibilities to ourselves, each other and why and how this situation arose and what this all might mean.
Show notes
The warning signs of COVID-19 and health service overwhelm
Making excuses for ourselves…
Our individual and societal responsibilities
Paying attention to how you are feeling
Do the neck check!
Good nutrition
Heart disease and cancer kill way more people than COVID-19 and are preventable and treatable with exercise
No more powerful medicine than exercise
Any organism has a carrying capacity
We are in this together
Bettering yourself through education
Popping to the shop in Africa
Fighting this war from the coach, binging Netflix and don’t do anything stupid!
You can follow Phil on Twitter @DrPhilipSkiba
More from Phil is available on his website on www.physfarm.com
Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs
Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve
Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/
A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/
If you’re looking for some coaching support or some virtual team development help to support you to get to the next level in work, life or sport then take a look at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/coaching-mentoring/
or drop us a note at enquiries@supportingchampions.co.uk then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.
Wednesday Mar 25, 2020
Wednesday Mar 25, 2020
057: James Cracknell on Endeavour
A note about CoronavriusWe, individuals, groups, communities, society look up to sporting heroes, we revere and admire their dedication, their persistence, their focus, the sacrifices they make to make the most of their often rare genetics and to do so on the greatest performance stage. As the world battles Coronavirus, we’re all going to be required to make sacrifices that we’ve never made before in pursuit of applying ourselves, to the collective goal of public health. We’ve thought hard about whether while the world is taking dramatic turn, whether the appropriateness of us publishing podcast episodes about a topic of human performance is even relevant. Certainly we can appreciate that if you normally tune in but your head is elsewhere at the moment then it might be better to switch off, go an focus on what you need to do (which hopefully isn’t stock piling toilet rolls) and listen to this again when it suits you best. We’ve decided to continue because perhaps these episodes can offer some inspiration, maybe an hour’s worth of distraction, perhaps to help refocus you on what you need to be doing. Also, there are a lot of people now distancing and isolating for the first time in their lives – I hope in some ways these episodes can be some supportive company and a positive influence as the worry and the noise surrounding the outbreak increases. This week's episode features my interview with James Cracknell.Two time Olympic Champion in coxless four rowing, part of perhaps the most renowned rowing crew of all time the Sydney 2000 four – a team I was honoured to support. On retirement, James didn’t put his feet up, in fact almost the opposite. He crossed the Atlantic with Ben Fogle, raced to the South Pole, kayaked the length of the Thames, was at the time the fastest Briton to run the Marathon de Sables, competed in the Yukon Arctic Ultra and has run the London Marathon numerous times with a best time of 2:43 which for a 90kg guy is phenomenal (at the time of recording James was headed for the London Marathon in a few weeks, but the event has now been postponed for now to October). In 2010 James undertook Ride Across America and was hit by a petrol tanker suffering a contrecoup brain injury – he is now a campaigner for the use of bike helmets – which effectively saved his life. Last year James became the oldest competitor and the oldest winner, in the history of the Oxford – Cambridge boat being twice as old as his crew mates and competitors and older than some of his crew mates dad’s. I worked with James in the pursuit of this goal and it was one of the most challenging cases I’ve worked on, to problem solve and innovate in such unique ways. James did so through some trying personal circumstances which played out in the press. In this conversation James and I discuss his early in drivers, becoming part of a crew with some of the highest achievers in sport Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent. Why he kept pushing towards goals after he retired from Olympic sport and his passions for public service and how through public policy he aspires to make the biggest difference to the people’s health and well-being. I do believe there is a lesson in here about creating intensity about doing what we need to do to accomplish something. I also think there is a message about feeling the fears but rather than being paralysed by them – acting upon them.
Happy listening, keep your distance and wash your hands folks!
Show notes
Steve and James discuss their long-standing relationship
Honesty and being unafraid to be unpopular
James’s return to high level sport and The Boat Race
James required a bespoke recovery programme that enabled him to come back stronger
The triple whammy of ultra-endurance endeavours, starvation on The Island and being 45!
Any reputation James had disappeared rapidly at the 5K ergo
Earning respect by beating Steve and Matthew
There are different ways to skin a cat!
James’s physiology
Being the best at everything that takes no natural talent
Defending titles and building on success.
“Anyone can win once”
Switching sides and doing the double
The part vanity has to play in winning or losing
Pressure
Setting extraordinary goals
The challenges full time athletes face!
Motivating other people, being a burden, enjoying sport and rewarding yourself
Relationships, perspectives and differences
Swapping lycra for goretex or a gown at Cambridge and the binary nature of winning and losing
Strictly what’s the worst that could happen?!
Do not show weakness. Do not show the opposition you are tired.
Showing vulnerability
Don’t let them see you being sick
Winning by a second or 4, break the world record…no?!
Drop the flowers and don’t cry
Politics and influencing policy and behaviours
Links
James on Twitter https://twitter.com/jamescracknell
An Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jamescracknell/
Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs
Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve
Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/
A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/
If you’re looking for some coaching support or some virtual team development help to support you to get to the next level in work, life or sport then take a look at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/coaching-mentoring/
or drop us a note at enquiries@supportingchampions.co.uk then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.
Friday Mar 13, 2020
Friday Mar 13, 2020
056: Malcolm Brown on a career in coaching and lessons from the Brownlees
This episode’s guest is Malcolm Brown a Performance Coach based at the Leeds Triathlon Centre where he has partnered with Jack Maitland in coaching the Brownlee Brothers, that’s Alastair and Jonny – two of the greatest triathlon racers of all time.
He was previously the head endurance coach for UK Athletics, coaching athletes to international gold medals at Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic level
Malcolm has journeyed through what would be considered one of the most traditional routes for a coach, being a PE teacher by trade, coaching in his spare time almost always on a volunteer basis and then as the system in the UK developed he began to coach professionally, first for athletics, then later in triathlon
In this interview, Malcolm reflects over the long arc of his career and draws on the lessons that have kept him so stable, cogent and wise. Malcolm tells it like it is about the state of coaching and how it has been underinvested in, how it lacks the recognition and prominence that it deserves but ardently hopes for better and is active in creating that future for coaching.
He’s supposed to be retired, but he’s still extremely active in the coaching community, having established the Leeds triathlon centre and recently the Endurance think tank. We start the conversation with a recent health scare for Malcolm, which it sounds as though many of his athletes ‘coached’ him through.
Show notes:
Club Le Santa, Lanzarote and a heart attack
How Malcolm occupied his mind when recuperating
Context to Malcolm’s 42 year coaching career
Paternal role model, interest in multiple sports, Head down and Head up perspectives from academics
Malcolm’s athletic career and the insights provided by his own injuries!
Finding the right words at the right time to support the athlete
Working with Alistair and Jonny Brownlee and picking up body language indicators in order to adapt sessions clip
Malcolm didn’t want coaching to be his job, he enjoyed his independence and autonomy too much!!
The common language of a team
Coach with significant input from the athletes led the training environment
Coach development roles, skills and competencies
The benefits of the endurance think tank
Malcolm’s observations around successful junior athletes not progressing to being successful senior athletes and the reasons he identified
The resourcefulness of the Brownlee brother’s and the necessity for them to make their own decisions as they are the athlete
How has Malcolm’s input changed with the Brownlees over time
Physiological efficiency
Malcolm’s nuggets of wisdom
Fail better!
Malcolm on Twitter
https://twitter.com/Malcthecoach
Leeds National Endurance Centre
https://nationalendurancecentre.co.uk/
International Council for Coaching Excellence
https://www.icce.ws/
Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs
Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve
Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/
A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/
If you’re looking for some coaching support or some virtual team development help to support you to get to the next level in work, life or sport then take a look at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/coaching-mentoring/
or drop us a note at enquiries@supportingchampions.co.uk then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.
Wednesday Feb 26, 2020
Wednesday Feb 26, 2020
The dynamic of retirement, transitions and change for athletes is rightly receiving much greater attention as athletes speak up and openly about their experiences – none more so this episode’s guest Lizzie Simmonds. Former international backstroker, two time Olympian, European champion – Lizzie has taken it upon herself to write and speak about her experiences since her retirement in 2018 and now mentoring others.
Her blog, her speeches are some of the most candid, open, articulations of what it feels like, how she’s responded, the noise in her head, the loss of identity, the polarised reactions of excitement but being daunted, open to possibilities but feeling like an imposter.
Lizzie’s communications are not some sort of ‘woe is me’ plea for attention – these are balanced, considerate, heartfelt, humble and honest accounts – that have rightly been lauded for expressing what many feel but have found too overwhelming or chaotic to be able to capture. Not everybody can do what Lizzie has done, but I think that anybody experiencing a change can certainly benefit from Lizzie has given a voice to.
Show notes
Rediscovering exercise after retirement
Lizzie’s viral tweet and Piers Morgan and the dangers of social media
Openness and engagement
Blogging about retirement and transitioning
The challenges of retirement, the guilt, feeling disconnected and being honest about feeling a little lost
Preparing for retirement and the thought process involved ahead of time
Athletes who have amore balance lifestyle tend to do better at retirement
Defining yourself by your sport and the consequences of that single identity
Support networks the difficulty in diverting resources from performance aims to support retirement in order to help them transition successfully.
What compelled Lizzie to write her blog about transitioning.
What does Lizzie miss, and not miss, about swimming
Specific memories from Lizzie’s swimming career Rockstar in goggles
Confidence and association with identity
Future life – enjoying experiences and staying away from the rat race
If you’d like to follow Lizzie then you can do so on Twitter https://twitter.com/LizzieSimmonds1
and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simmo1234/
To find out more from Lizzie’s website including her blog go to https://lizziesimmonds.com/
https://lizziesimmonds.com/2018/07/15/how-to-be-a-real-person/#more-157
Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs
Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve
Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/
A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/
If you’re looking for some coaching support or some virtual team development help to support you to get to the next level in work, life or sport then take a look at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/coaching-mentoring/
or drop us a note at enquiries@supportingchampions.co.uk then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.
Wednesday Feb 12, 2020
Wednesday Feb 12, 2020
Duncan French is the Vice President of the Ultimate Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts is a sport that has had an accelerated rise into the public consciousness over the last couple of decades. It seems to have captured the imagination, created interest and intrigue about the unpredictability of the contest. And so has followed a professionalisation of the bouts, the events, and the support they receive.
Duncan’s focus is to provide the very best support to the fighters, sometimes supporting two fighters that are about to fight each other. We get into an interesting discussion about the ethics of aiming to help someone do a better job of hurting someone else to the point of submission or unconsciousness, versus the unhealthy neglect that would result if fighters were left to their own devices. Combat has been with us since the dawn of time – way before we were human and it was one of the earliest activities we’d call sport – and let’s be realistic it’s probably not going away any time soon.
Duncan is a world renowned conditioning coach, rightly respected and sought after. As I fully expected from Duncan he sheds light on this territory with lucidity, acumen and wisdom. If you’re not into MMA (which I’m not actually but I’m interested) my expectations are that you’ll take a great deal from Duncan’s ideas.
Show notes
Introducing Frankie French!
Duncan’s background in strength and conditioning, particularly in the field of combat
The challenge of the PhD
Working and identifying as a sport scientist
The move to Connecticut and the moving into understanding the role of strength and conditioning
Duncan is a hybrid, shouldn’t we all be?
Nuns with arthritic wrists
Filtering the noise – it’s time consuming and takes effort but it’s important to focus on creating a quality track record and reputation
The pendulum swings from the coaching domain to the science domain, a blend of both is required
Combat based sports GB boxing
Changing the trajectory of a young sport the training and standards
Degrees of freedom
We don’t want to take the wild out of the stallion!
Uniquely supporting athletes both sides of the ring, the trust, support and opened required and operating within boundaries that are fundamental
The ethical challenges of supporting two people who are fighting the aim of which is to knock out their opponent: making the environment as safe a possible such as equipment design, physical development and training, rehabilitation, rules, regulations in order to make the sport as safe as possible for the fighters
Changing the standards of combat sports beyond mixed martial arts
Maximising deliverables
Fighting is in our DNA we get it and we like it
Duncan’s mantras!
Links
Duncan on Twitter https://twitter.com/duncanfrench
Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs
Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve
Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/
A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/
If you’re looking for some coaching support or some virtual team development help to support you to get to the next level in work, life or sport then take a look at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/coaching-mentoring/
or drop us a note at enquiries@supportingchampions.co.uk then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.
Wednesday Jan 29, 2020
Wednesday Jan 29, 2020
Sue Backhouse, Professor of psychology and nutrition at Leeds Beckett University is this week's guest. Sue is an expert in the complexity around two huge areas – eating and cheating. Everyone’s a nutritionist these days, everyone’s a psychologist and everyone has an opinion on the issue of doping. Three emotive, convoluted and noisy areas for Sue to tackle.
What Sue’s research does is something quite unique, particularly so compared with a lot of reductionist studies that pare back all confounding variables to a level of control almost sterility. Of course, you need that level of meticulous control for some research but often important areas get neglected by researchers because they’re too messy. Equally what Sue is able to do is see through the clatter, the jumble and offer illuminating yet grounded findings and advice.
We explore the hows and whys of influencing athletes to adopt certain dietary practices and how underpinning motivation and behaviour are essential for change. Then we get into a rich discussion about why people dope, the context, knowledge, social norms, group think, can all be factors in people taking or not taking that step into violating rules and how people reconcile their minds that what they’re doing is ok. A fascinating area, one that I have spent my life staunchly and adamantly against and working to support athletes in an ethical and legal way. At the end of the conversation I felt more aware and understanding and perhaps slightly more empathetic towards a doper – NOT that I have lowered my stance – but by better understanding why people cheat I feel I might be able to help someone choose not to.
Show notes:
Sue’s formative years leading to her career in sport.
Resetting ambitions and dealing with rejection and disappointment and how this has turned into an advantage.
Complexity of behaviour on multiple levels towards food and nutrition.
The role of emotions and how it drives behaviour, decision making and the support required to be sensitive to.
Capability Opportunity Motivation model of behaviour (COM-B); a behaviour change model recognise that in order to bring about change one needs a capability i.e. education, training and skills.
Having difficult conversations and making sure everyone is on the same page with the same expectations.
Just telling!
Barriers towards nutritional adherence
What are the unintended consequences of some of these short term solutions?
Doping, “I just did what I was told…”
Social norms of dysfunction, the power of the group.
Unravelling the complexities of doping, the vulnerability, the goal directed behaviours, the protection of health, athlete identity and winning at all costs.
Differences in doping violations, team versus individual approach
Therapeutic exemption and the knock-on effect of the negativity surrounding doping
Fearless organisations and having difficult conversations
Links:
Sue on Twitter https://twitter.com/susanbackhouse
https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/staff/professor-susan-backhouse/
https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/carnegie-school-of-sport/research/research-centres/human-performance/respect/
http://theconversation.com/whistleblowing-athletes-shouldnt-have-to-choose-between-their-careers-and-the-truth-112349
Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs
Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve
Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/
A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/
If you’re looking for some coaching support or some virtual team development help to support you to get to the next level in work, life or sport then take a look at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/coaching-mentoring/
or drop us a note at enquiries@supportingchampions.co.uk then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.
Wednesday Jan 15, 2020
Wednesday Jan 15, 2020
This year we have the Olympic games – the World’s biggest sporting event. But in quick succession is the Paralympics, now the third largest sporting event. Some quip that the Olympics is the warm-up or the test event for the Paralympics. Well this week’s guest is one of the greatest stalwarts and servant of the Paralympics, my good friend and close colleague Nik Diaper. It’s difficult to overstate the impact that Nik has had on the domain of disabled sport, from the days when frankly very few people were interested, through to it becoming not only respected, but revered.
In this interview I discuss with Nik what drew him to parasport, what resonated with him and what has endured. Nik shares his perspectives on why disability sport has caught the imagination of sports fans, general public and global audiences alike. He shares his search for meaning amongst some of life’s broader questions and why what he does can add value to society.
Now I cycle most weekends with Nik and he is a quality athlete, which I know to my suffering. This interview was in many ways like how he rides – unfussy, humble, deliberate in delivering a powerful effect.
Show notes:
Nik discusses his sporting history in Kenya
Moving to the US to pursue his swimming dream
The move to Manchester
Nik had no intention of pursuing a career in Paralympic sport
Entering Para sport and feeling completely out of his depth
Accessibility
The Paralympics 2020 and the step change in perception for disability sport
What made London so successful and it’s legacy?
What does it mean to be disabled? - the debate!
What were the reasons for sticking with Paralympic sport if it wasn’t your first choice?
Stand out para moments for Nik
Technological advances in para-sport and the ramificationsTokyo 2020
What more needs to be done and Nik’s hopes and ambitions?
Links:
Nik on Twitter
https://twitter.com/nik_diaper
Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs
Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve
Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/
A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/
If you’re looking for some coaching support or some virtual team development help to support you to get to the next level in work, life or sport then take a look at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/coaching-mentoring/
or drop us a note at enquiries@supportingchampions.co.uk then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.