Sports Pundit Podcast Network Tim Foster MBE [#71]: Leadership Lessons from an Olympic Champion [Performance with Rich Buchanan]
On today’s episode, Rich and Andy are joined by Tim Foster MBE, an Olympic champion who has successfully transitioned into leadership and education coaching within the business of sports.
Now Head of Performance for the League Managers Association (LMA), Foster provides mentoring, advice, learning, development programmes, workshops, webinars, and all areas of support relevant to football managers, their wellbeing, career, professional and personal development.
The discussion explores Foster’s journey of high performance, from his early days as an elite athlete to his gold medal win at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Tim delves into the mental and physical challenges of competing at the highest level, the importance of teamwork, and how those experiences have shaped his approach to coaching and leadership in the business of sports.
Timestamps
03:00 – Tim’s Early Rowing Career and Olympic Journey
7:00 - Talent Identification and Evolution in Rowing
17:00 Setting Goals and Maintaining Drive
23:00 Reflecting on Transitioning from Athlete to Coach
32:00 Working with Elite Football Managers
36:00 - Cross Sport Learning and Leadership
Additional Links
About The Host
Rich Buchanan is a human performance consultant with extensive experience at the highest levels of sport, including roles as Performance Director at Swansea City FC in the Premier League and consultant for DC United in Major League Soccer.
With a background spanning coaching, physiotherapy, and strength and conditioning, Rich specialises in building multi-disciplinary teams that deliver resilient, high-performing support systems. Passionate about holistic performance, Rich is committed to evolving best practices and helping organisations sustain long-term success.
About Sports Pundit
Sports Pundit is a community-driven platform for executives working in sport, built around content, events, and conversation. Through its weekly newsletter, social channels, WhatsApp groups, and podcast network, it connects industry leaders across the globe.
At the heart of the platform is the Sports Pundit Podcast Network, a multi-show lineup created for sports executives, by sports executives. The network features six domain-specific podcasts spanning innovation, marketing, finance, performance, and media, alongside a conversational companion show, The Pitch. Together, they deliver insider perspectives that live up to Sports Pundit’s mission to be “The Voice of the Sports Industry.”
Produced by OH SIX
The Sports Pundit Podcast is proudly produced by OH SIX, a content marketing agency specialising in producing digital and social-first content that connects. Trusted by Premier League clubs, F1 teams, and top brands, OH SIX deliver premium content end-to-end, from ideation, working with talent during production and platform specific content to reach audiences on screen.