Supporting Champions

This week’s guest is Chris Rosimus, Chris is the Head of Nutrition at the Football Association, leading all aspects of dietary provision to the England football teams. Prior to that Chris was nutritionist at England and Wales Cricket Board, English Institute of Sport and England Squash. What was fascinating about this conversation was the route that Chris followed, which you might consider unconventional, if there is such a thing as a conventional route. Chris essentially followed his passions and interests, and what you’ll hear from Chris is how through chance, through his own connection with his experiences and through his intuition, he honoured the ideas that have sparked deep enthusiasm by pursuing them. At the centre of all of these discussions is one recurring theme that Chris has respected and protected during his career, one theme that has enabled him to influence a whole host of elite players and coaches – and that is relationships.   This episode is sponsored by Junius, a multi-award winning, hea

Dr Cath Bishop competed as a rower at three Olympic Games, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens (and I had the privilege of working with Cath throughout her career), with highlights including winning the World Championships in 2003 and an Olympic silver medal in 2004. As a diplomat specialising in conflict issues, Cath was posted to Sarajevo, Bosnia, Basra and Iraq, as well as leading in Whitehall on the UK civilian contribution to conflicts around the world.  Cath has written a book, out on 13th October 2020, calling on us all to redefine what winning is. Cath brings extraordinary and insight together, back up with numerous anecdotes, references and her own experience to examine what winning has come to mean to society and to us as individuals and offers a fresh perspective on how we might redefine success – personal and professional - for the longer-term.   This episode is sponsored by Junius, a multi-award winning, health food + drinks company. Junius have made a superb range of plant-based juices. We’ve partnere

This week’s guest former Formula One driver Mark Webber. During his career Mark won nine Formula one Grands Prix, finishing third on three occasions, while driving for Red Bull racing. Mark has also won the FIA World Endurance Championship with Porsche. In this interview I ask mark about how he’s making sense of his career now that he’s retired and hear all about a strange mix of feeling fortunate and experiencing the loss of his career. We discuss physically and mentally what he felt he was losing that meant he wasn’t able to compete. Mark shares how he with the help of his father was stretching to ever higher standards and he offers a fascinating insight into competing against the very best in Michael Schumacher. In a really powerful section Mark divulges what it was like to experience some of the most severe and spectacular (in the factual sense of the word) crashes. Perhaps what was just as fascinating was how Mark processed his thoughts and what struck me about this discussion was how effective Mark is

I would put this week’s guest into a very select place in the world of endurance, one that has combined four often distinct factors, first quality academic research, second in a topic that contributes to elite performance, third creates a paradigm shift that challenges how most of us think about training, and fourthly has been successfully applied to the non-elites, the serious amateur athletes or training for the general population. Professor Stephen Seiler’s has captured, described, cross-referenced and validated the unique training patterns of the world’s best athletes and has found a somewhat remarkable, counter-intuitive trend – that the training they do is polarised, that is that the best endurance athletes make their easy training easy and their hard training hard. This has become known as the polarised approach. Stephen and his research group’s contribution to endurance sport took a bit of time to become recognised, now is widely accepted, considered and underpins the practice and thinking of coache

In this week’s episode I speak to a true innovator, pioneer and superstar of human movement – Sebastien Foucan. Sebastien was one of the founding developers of the discipline of parcours and later Sebastien stretched his practice to develop free-running – creative, acrobatic, exploratory, jumping, vaulting, rolling, climbing and interacting with obstacles and environments. Sebastien was also Bond baddy, delivering his art form on the big screen in a breath taking chase sequence with Daniel Craig at the start of Casino Royale! Sebastien has starred in Madonna video and toured with her. In this interview we discuss Sebastien’s early athleticism, the origins of parcours, the split to free-running, the assessment of risk against knowledge of his own physical capabilities, the founding philosophies and links to Bruce Lee’s doctrines and the demands of getting it right on stage and screen. We also find out who was the harder taskmaster Madonna or Bond! I’ve been in awe of Sebastien for many years and it was a co

This week’s guest is Kit Holder, first soloist at the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Kit has spent his whole career dancing, he came from a family of dancers, he went to the Royal Ballet School and has performed at the highest level on stage and now is a choreographer for the Birmingham company. There’s a number of interesting angles that I took from this interview, one that he is working to the direction of a new boss the world renowned Carlos Acosta – finding out how the style, manner and expectation change with the new direction. Kit also shares an interesting hurdle he had to overcome where a particular routine and section caused a real performance blocker for him and how he overcame this limiting inhibition. Fascinating still how this experience has propelled him to study more about the psychology of performance. Kit also shares his insights into choreography, nurturing others, directing, inspiring and co-creating works with other dancers.   We’ve always been super keen to learn from diverse fields. Sport i

This week’s guest is Mel Marshall. As a swimmer Mel made five Olympic finals at two Olympic games’ and she is one of the most decorated swimmers for England at the Commonwealth Games. You’re likely to know Mel as much for her reputation as an elite swimmer as the coach of perhaps the most dominant swimmer on the planet at the moment – the imperious Adam Peaty. Mel has coached Adam from his pre-teenage years taking him to the top of the Olympic podium in the 100m breaststroke at the Rio Olympics and having devastated the 100m breaststroke world record breaking it on five occasions. Mel shares her tensions about what the COVID-19  crisis has taught her and how she needs to balance her energy and frustrations and when she’ll switch her focus. She shares her philosophies of coaching and how these evolved over the 12 years she’s been out of the pool and guiding others. And in a fascinating section Mel lets us in on the 4 facets of what makes Adam Peaty great, how he’s always had these and how it’s up to her to c

Dr Eva Carneiro is this week’s guest (I will give you Eva’s introduction in two parts). Eva is a Sports Physician and was one of the first eight pioneering doctors recruited nationally to the UK Sports and Exercise Medicine Specialist Training Programme. She worked in the New South Wales Institute of Sport in Sydney and at the Olympic Medical Institute in London in the build up to the Beijing Olympics. Eva worked at Chelsea Football Club from 2009-2015. During her four seasons as First Team doctor the team was successful in winning Champions league, Premier league, Europa league, FA Cup and League Cup titles. During her six and half years with the team she worked with a total of seven elite international football managers. She is the first woman to sit on a team bench pitch-side in Champions League, Premier League, and Europa League competitions and the only woman to become the First Female Assistant Medical Director in a Football Club in the UK.  That’s the introduction to Eva’s medical and performance cre

Nick Levett on talent development Have you ever found yourself stood along side parents or coaches shouting and barking instructions to their child? Or have you ever found yourself bursting out with commands or subtly taking your child aside to say, “Just do this”. If we have done this or seen this or felt the urge to help but done so in a clumsy way – then we’ve been an influence (perhaps not positive) on a child’s interest in not only sport but on their willingness to try. This week’s guest is Nick Levett, Head of Coaching at UK Coaching an expert in talent development. Nick has had a fascinating career coaching in schools in socially and economically deprived areas, working to develop the paths of young talent in the largest governing body in the UK – the Football Association and now a broader remit to develop coaching across the sporting landscape  Nick’s insights are edifying, that is they compel us to take a moment to reflect and learn how morally, ethically and intellectually how we support and deve

Caspar Berry is a former professional poker player, having been the poker advisor on the James Bond movie Casino Royale. Caspar is now a speaker on risk, not only understanding this area from the principles of the game of poker, but it’s underpinned with an economics degree from Cambridge University. In this discussion we talk about the parallels between poker and what we’re experiencing through this viral pandemic – and there definitely are some. We talk about how to get good at poker which unveils an array of applicable lessons in terms of probabilities, luck and taking opportunities when they are presented to you. Caspar has a knack of making some unfamiliar concepts feel really accessible – he’s a bright guy with whom I've loved chatting to over the years. And if a Las Vegas poker player and advisor on a Bond movie weren’t enough Caspar has one of the most fun biographies going – which I will leave him to explain. Show notes Poker and a global pandemic – it is good when people appreciate uncertainty in

In this episode I spoke to Rob Pacey. Rob runs one of the most successful podcasts in Sport, the aptly named Pacey performance podcast, which focuses on strength and conditioning and training. He has curated close to 300 episodes since 2015 featuring some of the leading names in aspects of conditioning. In this discussion I was curious to find out what inspired Rob to begin recording episodes, and how he took the plunge. What Rob didn’t have at the time was a reputation to lean upon, he just went for it, with an infectious spirit summed up in the phrase, “Well I could do that”, or at least I could try. That optimistic spirit shines through about wanting to network, create connections, learn from people and contributing. In a cluttered world of online content we can learn from Rob’s lessons of being consistent, showing up for people and ultimately creating something of value. While he didn’t have a reputation when he first started, he does now! Show notes Dreams of becoming a professional footballer Realis

I’m excited to share, in this special episode, 7 key principles from my new book The First Hurdle on applying and interviewing for jobs in sports performance (and the sub-text here too is for those doing the interviewing too). The First Hurdle is a guide to searching, applying and interviewing for jobs in sports performance and is now available to buy for kindle or other e-reader here https://supportingchampions.co.uk/downloads/ In this episode I share the motivations behind the book; a story about my first interview experience alongside the England Football team; and 7 key principles that people would be wise to follow (including one message, principle number 7, for the interviewers) Be yourself! why and how you need to be true to yourself Can you do the job? How to emphasise your employability by focusing on their needs. De-clutter! Focus your attention on the areas that really matter. Would you put on all the clothes in your wardrobe to go out to a party? Add structure to your answers. How ‘and’ ruin

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 ram

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

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

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 e

057: James Cracknell on Endeavour   A note about Coronavrius We, 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 the

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 under

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 t

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 i