Supporting Champions

Emma Hatton star of the West End talks about her career, Emma has starred in some of the biggest musicals and lead roles, Scaramouche in We will Rock You, Elphaba in Wicked, Eva Peron in Evita and recently Grizabella in Cats. We discuss Emma’s origins as an athlete, the pull of performing on stage, the art form that Emma performs and how she does that, the persistence and knock backs, sustaining performance from a physical and mental perspective. I got in touch with Emma because I had an inkling that this world is extremely demanding and that Emma would be able to articulate that and I have to admit I found this interview utterly fascinating as Emma gave such rich insights into how she performs.   Show notes: Emma’s origins as a long jumper, following her passion to study sport Not sure what next, take a year out to do something interesting and fun – London School of Musical Theatre The cost on personal relationships for Emma when aspiring for success in her career Honouring Emma’s previous marriage by being extra determined to succeed Early successes from Emma’s raw talent, feeling the music, learning to sing by listening to people The determinants of musical theatre and the importance of connecting with the music Pacing and sustaining performance to offset the cost of 8 shows each week The responsibility of the roles balanced by the context of a paramedic sister Portraying the characters appropriately Acclimatising to the pressure of performing on the West End Importance of social support Preparation and focusing on what you can control Coping with rejection Pressure of the big notes and the external pressure of holding a role Pressure to perform when you’re not physically or mentally 100% Getting into the right mindset for performing and the benefit of having a sporting background, doing what it takes to get the performance out  Emma now supporting and championing others to learn from her insights If you want to follow Emma you can on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/emmahatton1 Twitter at https://twitter.com/emmahatton1 https://www.emmahatton.com Emma’s music is of course on iTunes and Spotify 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.

Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill is triple World champion, Olympic champion, European Champion and British record holder in the heptathlon and World indoor champion in pentathlon. Perhaps more significantly Jess is an icon of British sport and global track and field athletics – as much for carrying the weight of expectations of a nation at the London Olympics in 2012. To give you an example a 4000m2 portrait of Jess was painted beside the Heathrow airport runway emblazoned with the message, welcome to our turf, that was the message that greeted every athlete, coach, official, reporter and spectator to the London Olympics Now I had the privilege of working with Jess from her Junior days all the way to her retirement and still work with her now, but this conversation was a chance to look back on the entirety of her career and recap, reflect and in some cases help each other remember aspects of the journey. So it was great to take a chance to take stock with Jess but it was equally a dose of what also makes jess uniquely Jess, what makes her so adored, revered and connected to people is her overwhelming sense of values, ego-less sensibility, grounded kindness, and personability.   Show notes Life after retirement First GB selection at 15 and school sports day. School athletics and experimenting with events within the sport Changes in physiology after pregnancy A defining career moment and important lesson in approaching training… have no weaknesses The balance of endurance over power, the way in which Toni focussed the training towards Jess’s strengths The mental challenges within the heptathlon event. Mila, Jess’s dog, Jess talks about the impact of Mila and the distractions she brought 2007 Osaka, First World Championships, placed 4th. Excited and motivated to do her best A bank of confidence derived from hard training particularly in the 800m 2008, Götzis, a turning point in Jess’s career. Toni and Jess changed too much, and injury struck! Injury and the devastation of pulling out of competition and the ramifications of not being able to compete in the Olympics Team Jennis pulling together to get Jess back on track. Unloaded training in order to cope with injury and maintain fitness A change in training, sensible training and sensible recovery introducing new elements in order to allow the body to offload 2009 planning after injury, planning the comeback! The face of the Olympics- how did that happen…? The World Championships, Daegu, and a 2nd place. Happiness tinged with sadness, what do I need to do to win?! Career moments which show you ‘this isn’t going to be easy’ are beneficial but hard to take The 800m at the Olympics 2012 80,000 people watching at the start of the hurdles during the Olympics! Keeping the mind clutter free, best performances came when I was really happy A change in training regime when Reggie came along, quality sessions… not long sessions Retirement with no regrets Jennis Fitness and the future, for women to stay active throughout pregnancy and after Steve asks “What tip would you give to your younger self?” If you want to follow Jess you can do so on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jessicaennishill/ If you’re interested in taking Jess up on the offer of her training you through her new app then go to https://www.jennisfitness.com/ and also on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wearejennis/ 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.

This week’s guest is Dr Hannah Critchlow, cellular and molecular neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge. Hannah has recently released her new book the ‘science of fate’, exploring whether our genetic code determines our path or instead whether our genetic code acts as a start point from which we get to choose who we become. I grabbed 15 mins with Hannah between sessions at the Cheltenham Science Festival and we had interesting conversation that covered a lot, explored some interesting concepts, but in many ways hinted to a pivotal moment in time where the study of genetics is at a delicate cross-roads about how our new found understanding of the area is applied for the future of the human race. Show notes The concept of free will and what neuroscience tells us about how we’re formed New understanding of neuroscience and genetics asking us fundamental questions about who we are  Neuroscience of resilience and the role of BDNF – Brain derived neurotrophic factor – helping nerve cells to flourish  Characteristics are multi-factorial in nature yet many companies are now offering genetic screening Connection to gene doping in sport and the latest on managing the dial of gene expression The link to epigenetics and transfer of characteristics based on a stressor – a gap in our understanding! Neuroscience of well-being, what can be done? Exercise, foods, life long education, social connection What can we do to ensure we flourish? Expression and acts of compassion, practicing gratitude – develops a feeling of moral awe and have a profound effect on the mind and body! Follow Hannah on Twitter https://twitter.com/hancritchlow Buy her new book The Science of Fate https://www.hodder.co.uk/titles/hannah-critchlow/the-science-of-fate/9781473659285/ 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.

Matt Dixon is a professional triathlon coach and founder of Purplepatch fitness. Matt is former professional triathlete and elite swimmer, now coach and has set up a highly successful performance training and coaching support business. Purple patch has a roster of numerous world class triathletes that Matt and his team of coaches have supported to hundreds of ironman and half ironman victories. But they also have a slogan of 'Performance Training for Time-Starved People' which is fascinating as a growing group of their clientele are executives searching for an outlet and a health and performance goal but clearly having to manage work, life and their sporting endeavours. Thanks to Andy Blow from Precision Hydration for putting me in touch with Matt. I caught up with Matt at his family home when I was speaking over in the US. Triathletes - performance driven people The intellectual challenge of triathlon How to do a triathlon poorly! The value of failing Work ethic Not allowed bottles on the pool deck…  It’s great to work hard but in order to maintain balance you need to recover Why do we train? Drop weight, drop weight drop weight…poor behaviours My actions, my behaviours, my mistakes that proved fruitful  Subjects like strength & conditioning, nutrition and recovery were only given lip service The barometer of success is more work The four primary subjects of consistency endurance component, nutrition, recovery and strength & conditioning as an educational. Recovery is part of the programme - the Recovery Coach Stressors - the components of recovery Stress, recovery & adaptation  Supporting people that are ‘time starved’ How did Purple Patch start?  I want to change the way endurance sports are coached  The scaling problem - without diluting quality  Set up your business with multiple oils wells Content marketing opens an environment of sharing globally  The best coaches to have worked with are those which have an environment of sharing Elite and professional athletes unapologetically driving towards world class performance  Amateur athletes to improve but not at the expense of the other areas of your life  Purple Patch attract people that are time starved and high performers  Redefining what it takes to be successful  the classic sense for many coaches is to take a training programme and dump it on top of life  We don’t start with the training programme we start with life  The growth of executives searching for a sporting outlet A training programme cannot be just about the prescription of training Empowering athletes to make adjustments  Prescription is the first act of coaching, but it’s the execution of the why that is imperative  Purple Patch focus on triathletes but also globally performance driven individuals  Which habits keep you performing well? You can follow Matt on twitter @Purplepatch https://twitter.com/purplepatch If you’re interested in more from Matt, have a listen to his podcast episode 59 and 66 are particularly good ! https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/podcast He also offers squad based training support, that you can look up https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/squad  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.

Joining us this week on the Supporting Champions podcast is Head of Physiology at the English Institute of Sport (EIS), Dr. Emma Ross. I first met Emma at a scientific conference in 2009 and she blew me away with her ability to communicate and translate complex ideas and concepts. A few years later I appointed Emma as Head of Physiology at the EIS and after moving on from the system in 2016, I have kept a close eye on how people and schemes of work progress, develop and grow. This is exactly what Emma has done, particularly in her work on an essential project around the female athlete. In this conversation you will hear about several concepts around the female athlete and obvious discussions around things such as the menstrual cycles, taboo, equality, ethics and positive/negative behaviours that can enrich or erode cultures in different directions. Inevitably we discussed some potential implications and applications of support both inside and outside of sport. Show notes Steve and Emma begin by exploring Emma’s background growing up, her journey in sport as a keen rugby player and endurance runner and the role she currently holds at the EIS. After becoming a mother and embarking on the female athlete project at the EIS, Emma has spent a lot of time reflecting on the support she received from her parents growing up and the influence that has had on her work in academia and sport. Get out and speak out loud – one of Emma’s top pieces of advices for any aspiring sport scientist. Growing up, Emma spent a lot of time in debating groups and acknowledges this accelerating the skills required to lead and influence people. Steve and Emma begin to explore Emma’s PhD research on monitoring the mechanisms of fatigue during physical activity via transcranial magnetic stimulation techniques. After transitioning from PhD studies and academia into her role at the EIS as Head of Physiologist, Emma discusses some of the challenges and lessons learnt from this period. Steve asks Emma to share some of the origins, background, data and insights on the female athlete campaign and how this is now optimising the support of the female athlete within the system. Emma discusses some of the behaviours that can enrich or erode the ability to optimise female athlete support, particularly around the importance of role models, removing taboo and ridding cultures of silence, secrecy and judgment. Emma extends on the importance of female role models and diversifying the workforce in sport and beyond in order to optimise and innovate. Emma expands more on how she now shares her role with another female leader within the EIS so that she can sustainably support and develop her family and career. Steve rounds off the discussion by asking Emma what her top tips would be for sport and business leaders to better embrace females in the workforce and as leaders. Follow Emma on Twitter https://twitter.com/ezross  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.

In this week’s episode I am joined by Dr. Tom Waller (Senior Vice President Whitespace, Innovation and R&D at lululemon athletica). After completing his PhD at Loughborough University in sports technologies, where I first met Tom, he went on to work at Progressive Sports Technologies and onto Speedo as Head of Aqualab at a time where skinsuits were at their peak at having an impact on world record swimming times. Now at lululemon athletica, Tom heads up a team of innovators and experts inventing their products. Tom shares his philosophies on innovation, how critical it is to engage with user needs, the importance of lateral thinking and what the future might bring with the science of feel. Show Notes Steve and Tom begin by discussing the origins of lululemon’s name before delving into Tom’s background and his journey with Progressive Sports Technologies, Speedo and lululemon. Steve enquiries about Tom’s experiences of being mentored by Professor Mike Caine throughout his PhD at Loughborough University. Tom discusses the importance of being purpose driven, lateral thinking and connecting diverse dots in generating new innovation and perspective in a radically changing world. Steve asks how Tom brings technological innovation in lululemon’s products to the mass market. In particular he expands on the differences between meaning and association with a product. Tom expands on lululemon’s concept ‘the science of feel’, how we require different ‘feels’ in different contexts to perform optimally and gives us an example with the sports bra. The importance of feel as a sensory feedback source for athletes to optimise performance. The science of feel was an idea conceptualised by LuLuLemon to help manage the dialogue between body and mind. Tom offers more insight into the culture at lululemon – they’re a team of entrepreneurs who have a strong collective and individual alignment on purpose, vision and goals. Steve asks Tom, what is next? Follow Dr. Tom Waller online Connect with Tom on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommwaller Visit LuLuLemon here www.lululemon.co.uk/ www.lululemon.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.

Nick Matthew is three-time British and three-time World squash champion, as well as being two-time Commonwealth champion and former world number one. In this discussion we explore Nick’s early rise into the sport, particularly the breakthroughs he made through grit and perseverance. We also delve into his insights from finding his ‘super strength’ with the help of Mark Bawden and how he could apply them against his opponents. From the discussion you will also get a sense of the importance of Nick’s support team and the gratitude he shows towards them, none more so than his wife Esme. Show Notes Nick and Steve meet down at Hallamshire Squash Club in Sheffield and begin by discussing his squash academy and post-career squash training and competition levels. The conversation moves onto the preparation required to meet the demands of elite level squash.  Nick wishes he was able to identify and develop ‘super strengths’ earlier on his career. In 2008, whilst overcoming injury and working with sport psychologist Mark Bawden, he was able to do this after plateauing in the top ten in the world.  At the age of 19, Nick changed coaches and went back to basics, learning some fundamental technical skills despite being at the top of his game at a youth level on the national and international stage.  Nick highlights the importance of not seeking the magic fix. He gives insight into the confidence he gleamed from the results he began to obtain, the process he was focusing on and the plateau’s and learning curves he faced that accelerated his learning and ranking. Nick expands on how he used his super strength, his physical abilities and work ethic, to his advantage on the court versus many different styles of play. He details the training regime required to deliver this intense physical style of play.  Steve and Nick explore his breakthrough into the world top ten, focusing on some of the strategies he used to get there. Steve then asks Nick about some of the key challenges and rivalries he faced during this period.    In 2010, Nick became world number one. He shares his experiences and insights with Steve from sustaining performance in this position, including overcoming knee surgery 5 weeks prior to winning Commonwealth gold. Nick shows immense gratitude for his wife and the support staff in the English system. Steve and Nick round off the conversation by gaining perspective on Nick’s career and discussing the current state of play in squash, the Olympics and future plans.  Follow Nick Matthew on Twitter  https://twitter.com/nickmatthew Visit Nick's website here  http://www.nickmatthew.co.uk/ Tune in to Nick's podcast here  https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/holding-court-the-squash-cast-with-nick-matthew/id1439788051 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.

This week we are joined by Gareth Sandford, exercise physiologist at the Canadian Sports Institute. Gareth is just starting his post-doctoral studies and so in many ways you could say he is at the beginning of his career, having just wrapped up his PhD in New Zealand, but he certainly has some incredible insights to share! Yes, this story is one of studying hard, but the reason why I wanted to talk to Gareth was due to his ability to demonstrate enormous persistence in finding opportunities, creating buy-in and taking leaps of faith. Interestingly, his PhD project has allowed him to carve out a niche in high performance after travelling around the world to work with some of the world’s best running coaches and athletes.   Show Notes Gareth begins by discussing the early experiences he had in carving out placement opportunities, internships and highlights the importance of persistence, mentoring, curiosity and realising the current state of the sport science job market.  Gareth shares the lessons learnt from this foundational period in his career. His early experiences at Chelsea F.C. with Nick Broad accelerated his ability to problem solve and answer performance questions with impact. He also moved into coaching and discusses the skills learnt here.  After completing an MSc in physiology at Loughborough University, Gareth encountered some setback in the pursuit of landing a role. As a result, he took some time out to travel and work in India, gaining new found outlooks on life and performance.  Gareth begins to discuss his PhD research into the determinants of anaerobic speed reserve in middle distance running. He explains the background and role of the New Zealand institute of sport, how he drove impact and the key findings and applications from the project.  Gareth shares some of the challenges posed in data collection in New Zealand and details how he broke away into other countries through collaborating with other coaches, developing rapport, momentum and buy in with a global community.  Steve asks Gareth to draw on some of the key principles and stats from engaging with a performance community during his PhD project, all of which share a common cause and problem but in very different environments spread across the globe Follow Gareth Sandford on Twitter  https://twitter.com/Gareth_Sandford  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.

Trent Stellingwerff, a leading sports nutritionist, and Steve, a coach, discuss the importance of variability in one's life and career. They explore the generalist vs specialist debate, tacit knowledge, and offer advice for young practitioners. Trent shares insights into sport science in Canada, covering pseudoscience, barriers to entry, and measuring energy expenditure. The podcast highlights the significance of emotion in athletics and the delicate balance of success and failure.

Podcast 034 Show Notes – Performance People In this week’s episode, Steve takes the reins on his own as he shares some perspectives about developing the next generation of performance people. Over the last few years Supporting Champions have been applying the lessons learnt in elite sport into other sports, business and education and one of the areas we keep observing/hearing about is the lack of skilled graduates. People and team development has therefore been a major area of work for us and has been for Steve throughout his time at the British Olympic Association and the English Institute of Sport. A significant shift toward this began post-Beijing, focusing not only developing the performance of athletes but that too of the team behind the team. This podcast will focus on these ideas, distilling advice for people in three key early career phases; during study, transitioning out of university and attempting to land a job and after just securing a role. Show Notes Steve starts by sharing the “Letter to the 15,000” blog he first published in 2015 which has been read over 300,000 times across the world. The blog highlights the ever-growing concentrated graduate pool and the gaps between the education system and the workplace. Here, Steve offers advice and practical tips to those who are currently studying and preparing for life after university. Steve starts to explore the transition out of university into the workplace and the hurdles people encounter when applying for jobs, managing online presence, differentiating self from others and the importance of work and personal experience. So you have got the job? Now what? Steve talks about the chaotic start you will face whilst immersing yourself into your new role and environment. He emphasises the requirements of having to skill up quickly, find role clarity, broaden your network and all of this whilst still being incredibly effective under pressure. Steve highlights the startling facts behind the university-employment gap widening. and urges you to take action, ownership and responsibility of your career. The world of work is messy, ambiguous, fast moving and pressured. Find out how we can help you prime your knowledge in this area and get started. Steve's book How to Support a Champion. https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Support-Champion-applying-science/dp/0995464359/ 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.