Human or Athlete?

Former Liverpool Footballer, Joe Maguire, lifts the lid on his battle with mental health over the last few years in professional football. We delve into Joe's story starting with his time at Liverpool FC, where he learned under both Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp. Both brilliant managers seemed to create an environment that allowed players to be authentically themselves and feel appreciated, understood and part of a family. This approach to the team environment changed drastically as Joe discussed his moves to Fleetwood, Accrington and Tranmere where he found it difficult to deal with the changes in level, perspective on football and how he was treated. This led to a difficult time for Joe as his battle with mental grew prominent and eventually meant he took action. Since starting therapy and talking openly about his mental health, Joe has new perspectives, found acceptance and learned to cope and manage the ups and downs of professional football and life. An honest conversation with a creative, brave man who is open to learning all he can about himself on and off the pitch. Support for professional footballers: https://www.thepfa.com/players/wellbeingIf you feel like you are finding it difficult and need someone to talk to:https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

This is inspiring, this is emotional, this is real. A conversation with James Sutliff, a disability specialist coach and trainer who himself has a rare neuromuscular movement disorder called Dystonia. James tells us of the loss and pain in the 5 years he spend undiagnosed and what it took from him. But what makes this journey and man special is how he's turned it around. James changed his perspective, took action and is now living out a career supporting others, all whilst being stronger, healthier and happier than ever. A  story from losing so much to finding himself and finding fulfilment in himself and life, thank you James!To learn more about dystonia - https://www.dystonia.org.uk/what-is-dystonia

An episode starting with their WHY's and how they both started in Football and then made their way into elite level running. Both of them raising the issue with the level of support and understanding of what it means to be an elite athlete, Joe taking this to a new level with his venture, The Athlete Place. We see Chris' pure dedication to the sport but at the same time not the usual do or die mentality. There is a balance and an authenticity to where he can find the additional 1%'s and where he can chill out, switch off and watch some football. Both with brilliant stories and having an impact on the country and sport they find themselves in!

It was brilliant to sit down with Mick and have a conversation with the gloves off. From discussing what happened at the Olympics to his recent fight against Leigh Wood Mick has faced many his setback in his career but what makes him remarkable, is his ability to get back up. Mick has a powerful honesty, with me in this conversation, clearly with the people around him, but most rare, a real honesty with himself. He can take responsibility for his defeats as well as be authentic in who he wants in his circles. Not afraid to say the truth and be honest about the pain he has faced, the sacrifices in spending time away from his family and how he will become a world champion. 

This was a conversation centred all around coming back to the relationship with yourself because thats where the answers are. Whether that be to find trust in yourself, whether that be to find your unique ways to find more balance with performance or wellbeing or to know what your body wants and needs in that moment. There is no set answer that works for everyone, it is about cultivating an awareness with your body, your mind and your emotions. Morgan and Joe consistently reminded us that we all have our own way as long as we are in harmony with our authenticity. 

The energy in this conversation was off the charts. Mahama Cho, Team GB Double Olympian, multiple medallist in World Champs and Grand Prix as a Heavyweight Taekwondo fighter. This guy is a warrior. Leo Oppenheim, Head Trainer at BLOK Manchester, Yogi, Cold Water and Breathwork teacher and facilitator, this man does it all in the wellness space. I was slightly apprehensive about bringing these two together at first, maybe they just weren't on the same page or had differing beliefs about performance, wellbeing and life but how I was wrong. The knowledge, insight, stories and energy these guys shared was brilliant. From starting straight away with the difficulty in facing and accepting reality to then how to detach from it and stay disciplined in your path we go through so many factors that come up in an athlete's journey, the highs, lows, injuries and even the questioning moments of doubt. We importantly take apart the myth that says you can't be the best whilst having a healthy relationship with both mind and body. Finally, both Leo and Cho remind us that you have it all right within you, right now. You are enough, you are complete, you can be proud of yourself and you have a choice to go after whatever you want, you are in your power. 

This weeks episode was a brilliant insight into the mind and emotions of Laura Deas, skeleton racer and bronze medalist at the Winter Olympics in 2018. We hear how Passion and Determination drove her to achieve success on the Olympic stage and what it takes to reach that level from only starting at 19! But just as importantly, we learn what a lack of balance between who you are as a person and how dependent you are on the outcome of your racing can do if it isn't right. Laura showed courageous honesty and openness to discuss the difficulties when things just didn't seem to be working and how asking for help and support made a huge difference in turning her season around. This conversation really shows how important the balance is between being a human and an athlete and Laura shows how it is possible to face this challenge head on and try sustain a healthy balance between performance and wellbeing. Thank you Laura!

This is the funny but inspiring conversation with Team GB Olympic Bobsleigh athlete, Nick Gleeson. Nick tells us about his story of becoming a paratrooper, what it takes and how he uses the"pain hole" to use that dark energy. I learn how one of his most transferable skills from the army was his ability to control chaos and use order when he needs it most - like when he's trained 4 years for just 1 minute of performance. Finally, Nick reminds us all that switching it off is just as important as training hard, "rest is best". 

Chloe Watson, professional boxer, now 2-0 and Jordyn Smith, GB Taekwondo Fighter are our two guests on this weeks episode. The two of them have near identical careers so far, from incredibly successful junior careers to both unfortunately missing out on Tokyo but fighting back and making the step up onto the full professional level. These two are full of huge dreams and ambitions leading the front lines of female fighting but what makes them different is the humility they carry on their shoulders. Both Chloe and Jordyn are focused on inspiring and changing the culture of female fighting whilst also staying grounded by focusing on either studies and other meaningful additions to their life and the importance of their family. It is an exciting future ahead for both of them as they strive to be the best whilst maintaining their authenticity!Instagrams:JordyntkdsmithChloe_watsonxx

Chris Billam-Smith, British, European and Commonwealth Welterweight Champion and what a man this guy is outside of the ring too. "Who you are as a human will mould who you are as an athlete"Chris consistently reminds us of the importance of focus and setting priorities, keep the main thing the main thing. He openly talks of finding balance in how you talk to yourself, how you see yourself and balancing the idea of success with who you are right now. He won't let you off easy making sure we all know how crucial hard work and discipline is to getting anywhere in the athlete world but all with a hint of humility and a calm mindset behind it all. 

Dan Bigham, race engineer for Team INEOS Grenadiers cycling team whilst also being the 1 hour National record holder and Individual Pursuit National Champion, balances his full time job working for a top cycling team with an incredibly successful almost-ironic part time hobby as a cyclist. We break down how he is objective with the science, logic and the use of his analytical spreadsheets to work out where to improve, how to improve and if this is possible. And how he balances this alongside his passion and grit for cycling to be the best he can be and see what he can physically achieve as a rider. Its fascinating to hear his insight into the culture of peak performance sport such as Formula 1 at Mercedes to Team Ineos Grenadiers. An incredibly brave, rebellious and driven engineer and rider, it was a brilliant conversation of the juxtaposing ideas of creativity and complexity as a human and athlete. 

Acceptance, humility, compassion and an unbreakable resistance all make Tom Bosworth a pretty incredible human and athlete but what this conversation shows is Tom's real true strength, the ability to be vulnerable. The courage he has to be authentically himself on and one off the race course is what sets him apart. This has made him such a key speaker and role model for the LGBTQ community and for people of all ages interested in participating in sport at any level. He proves the stereotype of being ‘soft' or not being capable of being an elite athlete whilst being gay or whilst being an open and sensitive human being does not, and I repeat, does not, make him any less of a formidable and incredibly mentally strong competitor, its his strength. His authenticity to be himself provides his own fuel away from the comparison of masks and ego's. Thank you Tom for inspiring me and all the human or athlete listeners. 

Brendan's desire and drive to figure out the details of his past, present, thoughts, emotions and actions is inspiring. The curiosity of these details is huge in creating space for you to grow and reach your potential as an athlete. He breaks down how bullying in his childhood and how it has molded who he is today and how it came to a point where the next step was to open up in the company of the team psychologist. From there, he went deeper, grew in awareness of his patterns and actions and is now using these newly-honed skills to become the best athlete/team player he can be as well as keep learning, keep growing and enjoy his life as a human. Brendan's passion to be curious, to never stop asking questions is infectious, he is truly creating a life out of curiosity. 

The power of unity of body, mind, spirit and energy. Why not unite this alongside our elite sport? Sammy began as a footballer and has now created his own yoga studio after a journey of self-discovery through the practice of yoga. Sammy describes the benefits, where it comes from and why as humans it can be so crucial in balancing ourselves with the world we live in. We compare yoga as movement to sport and how much it can really help athletes on a physical, mental and energetic level. Sammys wisdom will make you sit back and reflect on how you can find more flow, simplicity and connection in your life as an athlete. Sammy's insta: @naijaboybendingFollow us on: @humanorathleteInstagram TiktokTwitterSpotifyApple Podcasts

An inspiring story and conversation with Hector Pardoe, a GB olympic marathon swimmer. Hector explains the huge risk he took in moving to France to pursue his goal of making it to the Olympics and developing as a human and as a swimmer. He forged his own path, going against the crowd and took on the changes of a new coach, new language, new environment and ultimately took control of his own growth and it paid off. Against the odds from years before the Olympics, he qualified and made it to Tokyo. He tells us of the difficulties within the Olympic final and how he is facing who he is as a person before and after such a testing experience. Hector is full of ambition and drive as a swimmer yet is also dedicated to giving and exploring the sport in its entirety. Thank you Hector!

Tom takes us through both his physical career and mental journey after having made it the Tokyo Olympic High Jump Final. His energy, driven attitude and confidence in himself is inspiring and infectious. At such a young age to be so aware of the potential he has to improve physically but even more so mentally; planning on introducing a psychologist and already using techniques like journalling. Tom is building himself to be an incredibly successful athlete but also to be an all round incredible human. 

Firstly thank you Max for your refreshing honesty and fearless authenticity, an incredible human being. This is a story of courage, resilience and revival. From going up the ranks at Manchester United to being diagnosed with testicular cancer, Max tells us his story. We learn of the heartbreaking moment he found out about his illness to how he then battled through chemotherapy and faced some of his darkest moments mentally. His perseverance to not give up, to keep going and to survive is simply inspirational. Max then comes back in to professional football and physically, mentally and even emotionally revives his hopes and dreams of playing at the highest level. He is now playing professionally at League 1 side, Rochdale AFC, with aspirations to truly love and enjoy his life on and importantly off the pitch. A beautiful conversation full of key tools, advice and a true fightback story!

Daniel Edozie gives us part 2 of this epic conversation. A truly inspiring insight into the last year or so of his life as he begins and continues on his journey of self-healing. He epitomises the strength in openness, honesty and vulnerability and guides us as to how he has grown and learned to understand why he is the way he is. From humour to humility, wit to wisdom and all round super energy this is an episode full of light learning and real open authenticity. What a guy Daniel, thanks for coming back on!Daniels website:https://danedozie.com

Sam Courty brings us back brilliantly into the return of the Human or Athlete podcast with a fantastic perspective on seeing yourself as a human alongside the athlete, focusing on enjoyment rather than pressure, numbers and outcomes. Her idea to bring people together through injury in the form of a WhatsApp group chat shows Sam's compassion and understanding of her own journey to learn from her own experiences to help others. So many reminders to have fun, think of others and don't define yourself by the athlete identity and rulebook it contains!

One of the most eye-opening stories I have ever heard. We hear all the details of Daniel's story. From homelessness and abandonment, surviving skid row and pan handling for a basketball, to finding foster care, finding his family and playing the sport he loves. No description can do this story justice, please listen openly to such an incredible man's story. There will be a Part 2 out next week that depicts the monumental healing process he went on to find himself. 

Issa tells his story on how he found beach volleyball to where he now dreams of winning medals. We learn of the driving force behind him to inspire and give to those his advice, joy and work ethic. Issa tells us his stories from experience to remind us how we must not stop fighting for racial equality in the world. And finally how every single one of us can have an impact on the people around us to cultivate a better world socially and environmentally. Thank you Issa, check him out @issabatrane

Libby's story is incredible, from being diagnosed with Stargardt macular dystrophy to becoming a double olympic champion at Rio in the 100m and 200m as well as so many other incredible achievements. She discusses the power of making mistakes as well as making assertive decisions for yourself. Libby always found a way to get back up regardless of the obstacles thrown her way from losing funding to having an identity crisis after her olympic success. She guides us through her priorities of enjoyment, self-compassion and generosity, thank you for coming on Libby!

Wow, what an incredible story. Johnboy talks us through his thoughts, emotions and approach after his devastating gunshot spinal injury. How he finds acceptance and the willpower to do something the life he still has. His strength is incredible to switch sports and be successful in both as well as find the self-love to overcome any obstacle that has come his way. What a journey, man and speaker, thank you johnboy!

An amazingly, high-energy insight into the life of an elite 800m runner, Ellie Baker. She explains how she finds the strength and awareness to commit herself to peak performance and a life centred around progress and joy. And she brings the laughter and humility with that drive to succeed! Ellie tells us how she learnt to back herself and find trust in the pressure that lays on an solo athlete's shoulders. An inspirational and energising conversation with an elite athlete paving her way to the top! Check her out on instagram @ellienatashabaker

I have not yet spoken to anyone who quite embodies the "team mindset" like Felix. His humility, honesty and understanding of his part to play in the team is incredible. He tells us how Belgium hockey committed to being the best in the world roughly 12 years ago and have slowly improved & improved to where they are now World Champions and #1 in the world approaching the Tokyo Olympics. He discusses the depth of the team morale and understanding each and every player and their part to play to succeed. Felix's refreshing honesty on overcoming a silver medal is inspiring as well as the stories behind the team's incredible journey to become the best in the world. Check out Felix @felixdenayer

Eric gives us a full guide into how he approaches sport and life. His attention to detail on how to maximise effort and focus on his priorities is airtight telling us how he uses his time efficiently by planning ahead and knowing exactly what he wants out of every day. Chasing perfect days is Eric's day to day system in how he prioritizes giving, joy and self-care. There are so many little details and guides that you can take away from Eric and be sure to check out his instagram @erichinman!

Part 2 of the Best Bits of the Human or Athlete Podcast!

Part 1 of the Best Bits of the Human or Athlete Podcast!

Jim tells his story through football and how he transitioned out of it. With his self-honesty and self-awareness he guides us through how he felt as a player in times where he needed to build confidence and when he needed to adapt to all types of environment. He shows that everything comes down to what happens inside us and finding who we are within, allows us to approach rebuilding our life or changing our life in any way possible!

Pedro speaks on his insights into life as a coach. How he sees curiosity as the stepping stone to hard work and even to loving what you do. We go into great depth on your environment and how the present moment is all you can focus on regardless of what you're doing, where you are and who you are with. His knowledge through experience  on ego and  authenticity in sport is full of advice and lessons. Ironically from the title, every question did always end up coming back to curiosity so if there is anything to take from this brilliant conversation, try include a little bit more curiosity into your life!

Charlie takes us on his journey through horrifically timed injuries to making his way through the Chelsea Academy to playing for free. His eventful and inspiring story is incredible to listen to and his ability to never quit, keep working harder and be able to see the positive and find a way to give to others. Thank you for sharing your story Charlie!

This podcast is all about taking the initiative for what you want, who you want to be and if that means being vulnerable, open and expressing who you are, then so be it! Lewis discusses his gofundme, the humility it takes to ask for help and the unexpected compassion of Jack Grealish who donated 2000£. We talk through injuries, mental health and listening to older players' advice, thank you Lewis, what a wise conversation!

Matteo and I go into how we meet, his story and the pro's and con's of life in football. We discuss how to deal with the setbacks and how to find a balance between life on and off the pitch and when that balance is crucial. Matteo goes into depth on his experiences and we talk about the importance of quality over quantity and humility over ego. Sorry for any of the lag, the connection was not the best!

Ruben brilliantly gives us his insight into his story as well as the setbacks that have defined his mentality. He goes into depth on the traits that have kept him going and we consistently see regardless of the "footballer ego", he is willing to take the initiative to grab opportunities and make them for himself. His persistence and drive is evident in this conversation and not one you want to miss! 

Craig and I have a brilliant conversation in this episode focusing on taking the pressure of yourself as an athlete, stepping back and finding the enjoyment in doing what you do. Craig asks the question if more can be done to support the mental health of athletes and we dive deep into the journey through injury and rehabilitation both as a physical process and as a mental battle. His insight into slowing down, taking walks and "looking up" is so important in todays fast-paced world of technology and impatience both as people and as athletes!

Yianni Nicolaou goes into how Loving what you do keeps you moving forward, keeps you turning up and coming back to put the work in day after day. We discuss how you can also use fear and hardships (dark energy) to fuel you to actually go forward in the right direction. We talk about breath work and its incredible benefits as well as why you have to try it! Even if it sounds weird and you're already very good at breathing. A brilliant and simple conversation with key advice for outworking everyone and using love to embrace fear. 

Matteo showing how important self-responsibility, accountability and ownership is especially when fighting uphill outside of professional sport. He shared knowledge on how he approaches matches, lockdown and life. We shared our insights into what you learn from not being at a club and how difficult it can be, but more importantly what we both learnt in those times. What a conversation especially for those in lockdown right now giving you some inspiration on how to approach it and what it means to get the best out of it. 

Ali discusses how important everything is that you do off the pitch and how that affects all you do on the pitch, it is all connected. Ali goes on to discuss his tools to stay aware, such as the power of meditation, headspace. We go on to talk about why you do what you do and how vital it is to focus on the journey. 

Kenji talks through his time at Manchester United, how he overcame his gambling addiction and his best advice on how to grow improve on and off the pitch. We go through the importance of gratitude, real true gratitude and appreciation at its core. He stresses how vital your environment is but that you always set your own standards and avoid comparison. Kenji is truly changing the definition of a footballer. 

On this podcast Roberto expresses the power of the inner journey through his battle with an eating disorder, his perspectives on happiness and opportunity and finally how he sees all suffering as blessings! 

Part 1 of this conversation follows Roberto's Story through following his football dream from moving countries  to fighting injury after injury. We discuss how he managed his identity through all the ups and downs, how he kept grounded and how he accepted and flipped his obstacles!

In this episode we break down why we play football, how the love for football will always be more important than your football CV. Tiv discusses his values and how he finds "flow" in so many more areas in life outside of football and how much that helps him.Finally, we look at mental health and how support systems are vital in dealing with the ups and downs in football as well as the present moment and the power it can give you to overcome anything and find enjoyment and focus in football and life!

In this podcast we delve in to the footballer ego, how we see it, how we manage our relationship with it and how it affects us.Brandon speaks on how he sees racism in football and its benefits and disadvantages. Finally, we go deep into Religion and the power of faith as well as the power of awareness and how finding the bigger journey is life-saving!