Performance People

At the Tokyo Olympics, two-time gold medallist Helen Glover showed to herself and the world that a working mother could also be an Olympian. And that, so we thought, was that. Except, well, some people are cut from a different cloth and Helen saw an opportunity to prove that women shouldn’t be written off at a certain age or life stage. What if she could medal in Paris at 38 with her kids at the finish line and at an age when they would remember seeing their mum doing her thing? Helen describes how she came to decide on such a big turnaround, how she juggles the different roles in her life and why she thinks being a parent has actually changed her career as an athlete for the better. Helen also compares how this Olympics compares to her first in 2012, the differences in moving from a pair to a team of four and she describes, beat by beat, what it’s like to actually race in an Olympic final when it’s all on the line. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a writer for The Times, Matt Dickinson has been an original and trusted voice on the key sporting events and characters of the last 25 years. He came to prominence as the reporter behind the interview with then England manager Glenn Hoddle in which Hoddle’s remarks on reincarnation ultimately led to his sacking. Matt recalls how being involved in such a high-profile story affected him, what it’s like to watch sport for a living and picks out the most compelling sporting figure he ever came across. He remembers the drama in the Nou Camp in 1999 when he had to rewrite his story in a matter of minutes and explains how he’s come to realise that his obsession with sport is actually less about the action on the pitch and more about a fascination with what makes extraordinary people tick. Which might explain why he’s now moving into psychotherapy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Tim Herman first went to Wimbledon as a 6-year-old and saw Bjorn Borg play, his fate was sealed. It was tennis all the way. Fifteen years later, he was playing his first match as a pro on Centre Court, the place he wishes he could have played his whole career on. Tim looks back on his life in a tennis and sports-obsessed family, how he handled the pressure of being the great British hope at Wimbledon, the matches he remembers most fondly and a few inside stories from behind the ropes at the All England Club. He also shares his views on the opponents who stood out including his pick in ‘the greatest of all-time’ debate. Tim recalls the moment he knew it was the right time for him to retire, and what he wishes for Andy Murray as he prepares to do the same. He remembers his tennis-obsessed father who had to pretend he was a picture of calm for every Wimbledon and tells us why his own daughters haven’t followed in his tennis shoes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Think of Wimbledon and the name Andrew Castle won’t be far from your mind. A former British number one as a player, he took a chance in broadcasting and never looked back - his voice is now one of the most recognisable soundtracks to the British summer.Andrew talks frankly and entertainingly about his early life, how he got his break in tennis, his trials on tour and why making it as a pro from an unlikely background is something he’s still proud of.He also shares how he got his break in TV and looks back on the many highs and lows of a life in TV and radio - like why the stresses of covering news made him quit LBC, and why calling the Wimbledon final is a privilege he'll never take for granted. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the big stories going into this year’s America’s Cup is the collaboration between two different sports which share more similarities than you might expect. In a special episode of Performance People with the Inside Tack podcast, Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team sat down with Sir Ben Ainslie, CEO and skipper of INEOS Britannia, to discuss how Formula One thinking has influenced this campaign, highlighting the areas which have seen the most benefits on both sides. Toto describes what it felt like to be a member of Ben’s crew for the day, and they look ahead at the ways Formula One’s commercial know-how might influence the cup’s future, including what sailing could learn from the ‘Netflix effect’ of Drive To Survive. They also discuss the different challenges involved in business and sport, and why winning after periods of adversity and criticism make the sweetest victories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much can we slow down the ageing process and extend our healthspan? It’s a growing area of interest and a subject in which personal trainer Matt Roberts is a leading and hugely knowledgable voice.Now in his fifties, Matt has the same body fat and measurements he had at 20. He believes - and is living proof - that we have more control over physiological ageing than we realise. It takes work, of course, and requires a systematic approach to our fitness, recovery and nutrition. He takes us through the precise habits to focus on each week including why zone 2 training is important, how sleep tracking can help you take control of your recovery and why cold showers should be your new morning habit.A major part of the process is assessing and understanding the state of our health right now, using as much data as possible to assess our current health to take full ownership of what we are up against and to tweak our approach as we age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

England rugby stalwart Lewis Moody was known for his all-action approach which left everything on the pitch. You don’t get the nickname 'mad dog’ for nothing.Yet it was off the pitch that Lewis Moody had to overcome his biggest challenges, most notably having to deal with ulcerative colitis as a young player in an environment where sharing your vulnerabilities wasn't exactly encouraged.Lewis credits these obstacles as opportunities to overcome difficult things and his incredible career is testament to that approach, as he went on to play in two world cup finals, coming off the bench in 2003 to win the line-out that set up Jonny Wilkinson’s winning drop-goal.He also discusses how a ‘pay it forward’ approach helped him with the difficult transition into retirement and also led to his current role as a performance coach, where he now applies his own experiences and observations in sports culture into other areas of performance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Team GB’s Emma Finucane is on a whirlwind rise through women’s cycling and is heading to Paris with high hopes that she could become the next name in British Cycling royalty.Just a year ago, this wasn’t even part of the plan. It all changed for the 21-year-old when she won the 2023 World Championships as a newcomer and she’s since had to manage the shift in expectations and attention that comes when you’re no longer an underdog but one of the favourites.She discusses her rise to the top, how she uses nerves as a performance enhancer, why she doesn’t do mind games and why it’s statistically harder for women to become repeat winners.With Paris 2024 approaching, she also looks ahead to the biggest summer of her life, sharing her thoughts on what it feels like to take on her first Olympics as one of the big guns, what she’ll do the day before the race to take her mind off things and what to expect where it matters - on the track. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Easter is a journalist and author whose two books ‘The Comfort Crisis’ and ‘Scarcity Brain’ reveal the ways in which the modern world has become incompatible with the way our animal brains are wired.In fact, we’re living pretty much the opposite lives to those of our ancestors. We have an excess of food which makes us crave other fixes, we sit down all day indoors and have had to invent the concept of exercise.His own journey to quitting alcohol made him realise that the greatest benefits in life come after short-term discomfort, and a trip to the Arctic made him appreciate the power of spending time outdoors, from lowering stress to increasing empathy levels. He also explains that boredom is good for us, why joining the 2% of people who take the stairs instead of the elevator can make the difference and puts forward a persuasive argument on why we should all plan an annual challenge with a 50% chance of failure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As crazy as it sounds, middle-distance runner Jake Wightman doesn’t really enjoy the act of going for a run. Sounds like a bit of a problem when you’re an elite athlete with his sights set on an Olympic gold this summer. As a talented and sporty kid he was spotted for his potential and realised he needed to grab the opportunity - and the responsibility - that comes with it. Fortunately what he does love though is racing and the 2022 1500m World Champion offers a fascinating insight into what it’s like to be in the mix of a crowded final, where mind games, tactics and decision-making become the crucial difference between glory and despair. He also tells us what it’s like to have your Dad commentate on your big races, the importance of feeling his friends’ support and how the thrill of winning keeps him motivated as he prepares for the biggest summer of his life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.