Performance People

What are the daily and weekly habits that build a life of high performance? Top performance coach to elite sport, military and business professionals, Chris Tombs, breaks down the habits, routines and mindset shifts that drive high performance in any field.From optimising sleep to integrating movement, Chris shares the daily principles that anyone can use to raise their game. Discover why consistency beats intensity, how to eat for energy and how to apply lessons from elite sport to everyday life.We love performance, which is why we've launched ainslie + ainslie – the first supplement brand to be developed inside elite sport. Now available for everyone. Find out more at www.ainslieainslie.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Georgie reunites with her old Sky Sports News co-anchor David Jones, who now hosts Sky Sports' flagship football coverage on Super Sunday and Monday Night Football alongside pundits including Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp.David discusses his big break at Sky, the pressure and buzz of live TV, why he prefers asking questions to answering them and how presenting live football with a panel of pundits can feel like hosting a dinner party. We love performance, which is why we've launched ainslie + ainslie – the first supplement brand to be developed inside elite sport. Now available for everyone. Find out more at www.ainslieainslie.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the daily and weekly habits that build a life of high performance? Top performance coach to elite sport, military and business professionals, Chris Tombs, breaks down the habits, routines and mindset shifts that drive high performance in any field.From optimising sleep to integrating movement, Chris shares the daily principles that anyone can use to raise their game. Discover why consistency beats intensity, how to eat for energy and how to apply lessons from elite sport to everyday life.We love performance, which is why we've launched ainslie + ainslie – the first supplement brand to be developed inside elite sport. Now available for everyone. Find out more at www.ainslieainslie.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can we learn from how athletes approach sleep to improve how we feel and perform every day? Dr Peter Tierney is a performance coach and sports scientist who has worked with Leinster rugby, Chelsea FC, Lulu Lemon and The FA. Working with elite athletes, he has seen the power of optimising sleep to maximise performance. In this episode, he describes his SLEEP checklist for improving your sleep environment, why regularity matters, the role of nutrition, why sleep trackers are like Google Maps and what we can learn from how athletes approach recovery.We love performance, which is why we've also launched ainslie + ainslie – the first supplement brand to be developed inside elite sport. Now available for everyone. Find out more at www.ainslieainslie.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rugby world cup winner Mike Tindall takes us inside that famous 2003 final, when England beat Australia with a Jonny Wilkinson drop-goal in extra time.Mike looks back at what made that team so special; the characters, camaraderie and leadership that made the difference and how he's never been in an environment like it since.Now a podcast host himself on ‘The Good, The Bad and The Rugby', he also shares his views on the British and Irish Lions tour, the rise of superstar women's rugby player Ilona Maher, the physical toll of playing at the top and what the future might hold for the professional game.We love performance, which is why we've also launched ainslie + ainslie – the first supplement brand to be developed inside elite sport. Now available for everyone. Find out more at www.ainslieainslie.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of Britain's most successful downhill skiers, Chemmy Alcott, shares her journey to four Winter Olympics and five top-10 World Cup finishes, including becoming the first Brit to win a World Cup downhill run in 2008 in Solden. In this episode of Performance People, she takes us inside the mental battles and brutal injuries that make up the life of a downhill racer, where euphoric success and crushing failure are only a ski edge apart.Learn what it takes to push through adversity, build mental resilience, confront perfectionism and understand imposter syndrome - all against the unforgiving backdrop of competitive skiing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russell Foster is Professor of Circadian Neuroscience at Oxford University, an ainslie + ainslie advisor, and a world-leading expert on the emerging science behind our bodyclock and the fundamental role it plays in everything we do. He explains how our circadian rhythm works, the role of light and how to change our relationship with sleep for the better. Taking action to get back into our natural rhythm is fundamental to our health, happiness and performance.You can also watch episodes on YouTube. We love performance, which is why we've also launched ainslie + ainslie – the first supplement brand to be developed inside an elite sports team. Now available for everyone. Find out more at http://www.ainslieainslie.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Tommy Wood is a neuroscientist, a performance coach and – his words – an elite professional nerd. He's also Hintsa's head scientist for motorsport. Formula 1 drivers operate at the peak of physical and cognitive performance. Tommy describes the key lessons we can take from how F1 drivers train to push our own limits, and why it could hold the secret to holding off cognitive decline as we get older.Tommy hosts his own podcast ‘Better Brain Fitness' with Dr Josh Turknett.You can also watch episodes on YouTube. We love performance, which is why we've also launched ainslie + ainslie – the first supplement brand to be developed inside an elite sports team. Now available for everyone. Find out more at http://www.ainslieainslie.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Broadcaster Natalie Pinkham has been on the Formula 1 rollercoaster for over 13 years as a presenter and reporter. She reflects on her experiences on the road, friendships made and the lessons she has taken from an innovation sport into life outside. She also reflects on her experiences working in a Romanian orphanage, her sleep issues and her take on what promises to be a box office season ahead. Given Nat also went to school with Georgie, there's no hiding place. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode in our relaunched ainslie + ainslie Performance People podcast, trailblazing sports presenter and new Match Of The Day host, Gabby Logan, reflects on her life's defining moment, the death of her younger brother Daniel, a hugely talented footballer who collapsed in the garden whilst playing football with his Dad and younger brother aged just 15.Gabby talks about the impact on her family, how it shaped her outlook as a young adult, why grief never goes away and the importance of living life to the maximum. * If you need help with issues relating to grief and bereavement, the charity MIND offers self-care advice and support suggestions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our first ever live episode, Ben Ainslie and Hannah Mills joined Georgie for a Performance People special in collaboration with Ned Talks, recorded in The Parlour room at The Ned in central London.The panel looked back at the America's Cup in Barcelona last year, ahead to this year's Sail GP season and revealed a few of the performance secrets that have racked up six Olympic gold medals between them, including how they handle nerves, how they juggle the single-mindedness of sport with family life and what they prioritise most when they really need to perform.Georgie also explained the story behind ainslie + ainslie, the performance supplement company she has co-founded with Ben, and for which Hannah is an ambassador; taking the thinking from the human performance experts in Ben's sailing team to develop NIGHT POWDER, a product which makes an elite sport approach to recovery available for everyone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we head towards our 100th episode, we've been revisiting some of our favourite performance insights from previous guests. This week, sleep and recovery specialist Anna West goes through some of the small changes we can make to optimise our sleep - from how to use our circadian rhythms, how to nap for better performance and why the factors affecting the quality of our night's sleep can start as soon as we wake up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we head towards our 100th episode, we've been revisiting some of our favourite performance insights from previous guests. This week, trainer Matt Roberts is on a mission to help us take ownership of our health and fitness as we get older. Whatever age you are now, his advice can help you increase your ‘healthspan' - the period in which we are physically active and healthy. We cover the role of data, what nutrition essentials to focus on, the importance of changing our self-image where fitness and activity are concerned and why meditation should be part of your weekly routine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we head towards our 100th episode, we've been revisiting some of our favourite performance insights from previous guests. This week, it's Dr Megan Rossi on why gut health is so important to our daily performance. We cover the importance of the gut in our overall health, why stress and gut health are intrinsically linked, the growing research on food additives and the ways we can improve our daily habits in this important area. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we head towards our 100th episode, we've been revisiting some of our favourite performance insights from previous guests. In this one, it's Tim Henman's unique advice on handling pressure. In such a gladiatorial sport as tennis, and as a Brit playing at Wimbledon with the whole country expecting you to win, Tim definitely knows what pressure feels like. Yet if anything, it brought the best out in him and he always looked the calmest man in the arena. Tim shares how he handled these situations, the mental tricks he used and how the rest of us might carry this approach into our daily lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Magness is a performance coach to athletes and CEOs, a running expert who has coached Olympians, and an author whose latest book, ‘Win The Inside Game: How to Move From Surviving to Thriving', explores how high performers can transform their lives by learning to let go of the traditional outcome-based view of success.Steve discusses how constant striving led to burnout in his own life, why doing hard things is the best way to build resilience and self-belief, that joy is proven to be a performance advantage and why letting go of our competitiveness can actually make us better. He also explains why he puts sleep and recovery as the number one priority for his clients, whether they are athletes or CEOs.His three step framework is a model for being happier while still maintaining your edge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martin Keown is one of the Premier League's most formidable defenders, a leader in Arsene Wenger's most successful Arsenal side that went on to go unbeaten in the famous ‘Invincibles' season of 2003/4, in what would be his last season at Arsenal aged nearly 38. Now an insightful pundit, and author of his recent memoir ‘On the Edge', Martin talks candidly and entertainingly about what made him tick, the coaches that influenced him, the players that impressed him the most and the techniques and lifestyle habits that Arsene Wenger introduced him to which would transform him as a player and a person.It's an episode full of sporting anecdotes from one of the Premier League's golden eras, plus there's also a lot to absorb on what makes good leadership, the importance of personal values and making the absolute best of your talents. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Geraint Thomas is one of Britain's most popular and successful cyclists, a Tour de France winner and double Olympic gold medalist who's also known as a team man willing to give everything for the cause.Speaking direct from the massage table and in reflective mood, the man everyone calls ‘G' looks back on the career-defining moment when he realised he could make the switch from Tour de France support man to yellow jersey contender in his own right. He discusses what it took mentally, physically and tactically to make this massive step, and what it felt like to achieve his dream to actually win the world's greatest and toughest bike race in 2018.Now entering his 19th - and most likely final - season as a professional, Geraint talks about how cycling has changed, what he still wants to achieve and how he's looking for a new challenge once he finally hangs up his lycra. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jess Thom is Team GB's lead psychologist, a sports and performance specialist who helps elite athletes to fulfil their potential, on and off the field.Jess shares some of the key mental strategies she uses to help her athletes excel, many of which can be applied to anyone looking to improve their everyday performance. You'll hear Jess explain how to handle your inner critic, when and how visualisation can be most useful, how to handle nerves and fear and why ‘what-if' planning builds resilience and reduces anxiety. These are insights from someone making a difference at the very top of elite sport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a big 12 months on Performance People and we thought we'd close it out the year with a selection of clips from some of our favourite episodes, many of which were recorded out in in Barcelona, where Ben Ainslie and his INEOS Britannia team were attempting to fulfil their ‘moment in time' and bring the oldest trophy in sport back to Britain for the first time.We were joined by some stellar guests in our recording studio out there, including Lewis Hamilton, Ben Ainslie, Gary Neville, George Russell, Toto Wolff, Hannah Mills and Ellie Aldridge, who shared some of the insights they rely on for performance, and the career lessons they value the most. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Liverpool's Director of Research for over a decade, Ian Graham was at the heart of the data revolution in football, and his approach helped Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, the team he also supports, to win the Premier League and Champions League in his time there.Ian shares the stories and insights that helped them to win - why Brendan Rodgers left partly because he couldn't get on board with the new approach, how the experience of Liverpool's owners in American sport allowed data to thrive, the players, including Mohammad Salah and Joel Matip, that were identified by this approach and why even Jurgen Klopp's appointment as manager was only green lit after some last-minute data analysis.Ian also gives his thoughts on the state of the Premier League, why data's most effective when combined with the human touch and how he can still watch football as a fan, not just as an analyst. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Beahon is the co-founder of sportswear label Castore, which in less than a decade has grown in to a major global challenger brand, and can be seen on athletes and teams including Andy Murray, Red Bull Racing, Newcastle United and the England cricket team.Growing up, all Tom ever wanted to be was a pro footballer, but that particular dream ended when he was let go by Tranmere Rovers as a 19-year-old. It was this crushing disappointment that fuelled the fire for what came next. He made the decision that this failure wouldn't define him and, with his brother Phil, took his passion for sport on a new path.Tom shares the stories of starting out on his journey with no clue how to start a clothing label, the qualities he believes opened the doors which allowed the business to grow and shares the most important lessons for anyone looking to start out on their own. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed Jackson says he has lived two lives. For ten years he was a professional rugby player, who was defined by his physicality and performance. But in 2017, at a family friend's barbecue, an accident ended this old life forever. He dived into a swimming pool, not realising it was three feet deep. On the way to the hospital he had to be resuscitated three times. Not long after, he was told he'd never walk again.Incredibly, just three years from this moment, Ed was standing on the world's highest trekking peak, Aconagua. He shares this rollercoaster story, from the initial devastation of his prognosis to the slow flicker of hope, from long rehabilitation to a level of recovery he didn't think was possible.It was a fundraising expedition to Snowdon that then sent his life in an entirely new direction, when he saw the opportunity to use his experience to help others in a similar boat. Now, as co-founder of the Millimetres 2 Mountains foundation, such is the purpose he has found, he says he no longer regrets the accident that led him here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jacqui Oatley is a hugely respected sports journalist, commentator and presenter who in 2007 became the first woman ever to commentate on Match Of The Day. In fact, her career is full of media firsts for women, although all she ever wanted to do was the job she loved.A football obsessive from a young age, a serious knee injury in her twenties led to her reappraising her career. She retrained as a sports journalist, she worked her way up from non-league football, to the Premier League on Radio Five Live. An opportunity to commentate on Britain's flagship football highlights programme blew up into a huge national media story with her at the centre. As the first woman to ever call a match on the show, she faced a torrent of publicity, criticism and, frequently, abuse. Jacqui tells her story vividly and honestly from the inside, describing what it was like to be at the centre of a cultural moment, how she had to develop a thick skin to get through the aftermath, how things have progressed and why there's still work to do across the board. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now the dust has settled on the 37th America's Cup, it's the perfect time to look back on how things played out both on and off the water with the skipper and CEO of INEOS Britannia, Ben Ainslie.As well as some stories from the inside, Ben considers the highs and lows of his team's journey to face off against the Kiwis, the details that he thinks made the difference and the biggest lessons, both collectively and personally, he'll take in to next time.He tells us how the boat's near sinking made him realise how much potential was in the team, explains the challenges of having leadership roles both on the boat and on the business side and looks ahead at what it'll take to take the extra step and win the cup for Britain for the first time in history.As always, the parallels between success in sport and life are on show here, with insights on everything from team-building to handling pressure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A true rugby union hall-of-famer who ranks as one of the best scrum-halves who ever played the game, George Gregan is known for having the whole package - skill, creativity, tenacity, intelligence, sportsmanship and leadership. He is the seventh most capped player of all-time with 139 appearances for Australia, 59 of them as skipper.George puts these remarkable performance standards down to the moment at 19 when he gained a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport. It's what he learned there, from elite coaches, specialists and athletes in every sport and discipline, that paved the way for the personal and team success that followed.He shares some of the lessons that can be applied to anyone looking for performance gains in their own life - how preparation can see you through even unexpected challenges, how regular reflection can iron out problems and the factors which make the difference between good and great. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Russell Foster is one of the world's leading experts on sleep and circadian health. He explains how modern lifestyles have disrupted our natural body clocks and why many of us aren't getting the quality sleep we need to perform at our best. More importantly he goes through ways to get back into the rhythm. As Professor of Circadian Neuroscience at Oxford University, Russell says it's vital we understand the importance of sleep in how our minds and bodies function to unlock its benefits. Expect to learn why light plays such a crucial role, what to do if you wake up in the night, why it's not all about getting eight hours, why bad sleepers have a negative world view, and why dreaming helps us solve complex problems.You can take the anxiety out of sleep by taking back control. Get it right and it can become the most effective performance enhancer we have. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brett Gosper is a leading figure on the business side of global sport, having been CEO of World Rugby during a pivotal era, and now, in a key role at the NFL as Head of Europe and Asia-Pacific.It's a career that has come full circle as Brett recalls the moment when, as a promising rugby union player, he was on the verge of breaking in to the Australian national squad with the rest of his 20s already mapped out in his head.When he was told he hadn't made the cut, what seemed at the time like a personal failure actually sent him on a new path - to France, where he played top tier club rugby whilst building a career in advertising, which ultimately led to his current role as a sports leader.In this week's episode, Brett shares his memories of rugby's amateur era, the personal lessons he learned in sport and business, the greatest challenges during his time in World Rugby and what working in the NFL has taught him about the differences with American sport and the Premier League. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam Jones is a former Major League baseball player, a five-time all star and four-time Golden Glove who retired a fan favourite and local legend for the Baltimore Orioles having spent 11 happy and successful years there. He was even given a ceremonial send-off in front of fans and dignitaries when he retired to mark his time in the city.Rewind to 2008 though and few would have predicted such an outcome. Adam was just a prospect in his early 20s when he was told he was being sold and had to leave the safety net of his native west coast for the other side of the country.Initially shocked, he could have seen it as rejection and played the victim. But he's not cut like that. Within minutes his brother told him it was a chance to ‘show out'. To prove how good he can be to a whole new set of people. And Adam spent the next decade turning an unforeseen hurdle into a new adventure and a remarkable career on and off the field. Adam's story is a lesson for all of us in the power of attitude when things don't appear to go your way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kenyan long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge is a two-time Olympic marathon champion who has run four of the fastest 10 marathon times in history. In this latest episode in our ‘A Moment in Time' series of Performance People with the Inside Tack podcast, Eliud looks back to his most memorable achievement - the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, when he became the first runner to break the two-hour barrier for the marathon, in Vienna in 2019.He shares the story of how he and the support team achieved what was once inconceivable. From the training requirements to prepare his body, to the mental approach that allowed him to believe the impossible. In fact, he explains that it was being told that it couldn't be done which gave him the motivation to show the world that it could.He is now on a mission to inspire people in different fields that running is a force for good and that no human is limited. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ellie Aldridge was on track to be a dinghy sailor when a chance to try kiteboarding ahead of its Olympic debut came up. Quickly, she had to choose which sport to focus on. It was a decision that would change her life. Just six years later she became the sport's inaugural Olympic champion in Marseille.In the latest episode in our ‘A Moment in Time' series of Performance People with the Inside Tack podcast, Ellie looks back on that golden moment this summer - how she handled the tricky conditions, why she never allowed herself a second to imagine that gold medal and what it really feels like to fly across the ocean to win a flawless race and make history.She also explains the challenge of having to maintain an unnaturally heavy weight in order to compete and what it means for her title defence in LA in 2028.Now a sailor in the Women's America's Cup team, Ellie also discusses her role in the British Athena team as it tries to make history in Barcelona. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hannah Mills is already one of British sailing's all-time greats, a double gold medallist and double world champion, she's currently on-board strategist for the Emirates GBR SailGP team and skipper of the British Athena Pathway team in the first ever Women's America's Cup in Barcelona.In this latest episode in our ‘A Moment in Time' series of Performance People with the Inside Tack podcast, Hannah looks back to Rio in 2016 and her first gold medal triumph in the Women's 470 with Saskia Clark. Having been gutted with silver in London four years earlier, she recalls what made the difference this time. From dealing with adversity through meticulous planning and role play, handling nerves and pressure by sticking to routines, and using self-talk to counter often unbearable nerves, Hannah is someone we can all identify with - and learn from.She also shares what it's like to compete at the top of her sport as a mother, and what it means to be leading a new era of opportunity in women's sailing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're one of Manchester United and England's greatest full-backs, and a pivotal figure in Sir Alex Ferguson's golden years, you have a lot of good moments to reflect on, but for Gary Neville, one night in Barcelona stands out above all others.In the latest episode in our ‘A Moment in Time' series of Performance People with the Inside Tack podcast, Gary took us back to the Nou Camp in 1999 for the remarkable treble-winning moment his United side came back from a goal down to beat Bayern Munich 2-1, with both United's goals coming in injury time.He shares the lessons the team needed to learn to get over the line, the factors that gave them the belief to turn the game around and the tactical changes that made the difference.It's a revealing and colourful account of what it felt like to play in the most dramatic and memorable Champions' League final - including the all-night (and all-morning) celebration that followed. Gary also puts the achievement in context with his whole career and explains why he's happier now as a pundit and entrepreneur than he ever was as a professional known for his intensity and high standards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Bertrand is the America's Cup skipper who led Australia to an historic against-the-odds victory over the USA in their own back yard in 1983. It's been dubbed ‘The Race of the Century' and is the subject of a Netflix film of the same name.In the fifth episode in our ‘A Moment in Time' series of Performance People with the Inside Tack podcast, John takes us inside this incredible story to reveal the thinking, leadership and values which took the Australia II team from plucky underdogs to world champions, against the might of New York Yacht Club.He also offers his insight into the 2024 America's Cup and explains why it's the team that finds a way to learn, develop and innovate the most during competition that will likely win. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Entrepreneur, investor and Team Principal + CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, Toto Wolff started his career as a racing driver and instructor in his native Austria before turning his attention, with phenomenal success, to business. He later combined his expertise as an entrepreneur with his passion for motorsport, as an investor in Williams F1 before leading the Mercedes F1 team into a period of incredible success which featured eight consecutive Constructors' Championships and seven consecutive Drivers' Championships.In the fourth episode in our ‘A Moment in Time' series of Performance People with the Inside Tack podcast, Toto recalls the moment, alone in a car after the Austrian Grand Prix, that he first took in the nature of his journey from a struggling kid to the pinnacle of his sport.He shares the lessons and insights that he's picked up along the way from his preference for action over words, the importance of sharing success with others and why he immediately resets to the next goal but makes sure not to look too far ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Importance Of Breaking Down Your Big Dream Into Smaller Steps | George Russell George Russell is one of Formula One's hottest young talents, now in his third season at Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton. In the third episode in our ‘A Moment in Time' series of Performance People with the Inside Tack podcast, George reflects on the key stepping stones that took him from karting as a kid with his brother to his current seat at the top of his sport. His phenomenal record in Formula Two put him in the shop window but it took an impromptu email to change his career path, confirming that even at this level, timing is everything. He describes the emotion of his first F1 race win in Brazil and what surprised him most about that moment, and shares some of the key performance lessons he's learned along the way including his personal antidote to pressure and nerves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With an astonishing seven Formula One Driver Championships, 201 podiums and 105 race wins, Sir Lewis Hamilton's career record is unparalleled in the history of his sport. His prodigious natural talent combined with a relentless will to win saw him become the most successful rookie in history back in 2007 and he's never looked back, except to check his rivals in the mirror.In the second episode in our ‘A Moment in Time' series of Performance People with the Inside Tack podcast, Lewis looks back on the defining moments in his career, starting with the decision to join Mercedes that sent his career on to a new level. He remembers the thrills of his formative days in karting which shaped so many of the attributes that mark him out as such a special driver, he reflects on how he's learned to handle the responsibility of carrying the hopes of his entire team on race weekend and looks back on some of the individual races and moments that have stayed with him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the summer of sport moves towards the 37th America's Cup, we look back to the remarkable 2013 edition in a special episode of Performance People with the Inside Tack podcast.Oracle Team USA were 8-1 down and going nowhere against Emirates Team New Zealand who needed only one more win to lift the Auld Mug. Enter Ben Ainslie, who was brought in as tactician in a last-gasp move to try to change things up. And boy did it work, as he reeled off seven straight wins to set up a winner-takes-all decider. Ben takes us back to that time when the sporting world was glued to events in San Francisco Bay, recalling the moment he was asked to join the crew, the nature of the challenge he faced, the details that helped shift the momentum and the impact it had on his own career, as he leads INEOS Britannia in their attempt to win the trophy for Britain this autumn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Georgie Ainslie and guest Professor Greg Whyte debate the most memorable performances from the second week of the Paris Olympics, breaking down what made them stand out from the rest. Featuring the serene brilliance of Team GB's Keely Hodgkinson, the emergence of a new European track and field superstar and the mechanics behind what made the men's 100m so special. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Georgie Ainslie and guest Professor Greg Whyte look back at the most memorable performances from the first week of the Paris Olympics, breaking down what made them stand out from the rest. From the otherworldly brilliance of Simone Biles to the longevity of Tom Daley, plus the Team GB all-time great who doesn't get the recognition they deserve. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Craig Wood was an 18-year-old soldier, a roadside bomb in Afghanistan left him a triple amputee.After a gruelling rehabilitation full of operations and setbacks, he needed a new focus and felt the pull of the sea as soon as he left hospital.A keen windsurfer before his injuries, he began to learn para sailing and it changed his life. He now lives on a catamaran with his wife and two young kids, travelling the world.But that's the just the start. In January 2025 he is planning to sail 6,000 nautical miles solo from Mexico to Japan to raise money for the charities which helped him recover and to show other amputees just what's possible. He'd become the first para sailor to do so.At the heart of Craig's story is his lust for life and his resolute unwillingness to compromise on how he wants to live it. He discusses with Georgie why he's taking on a challenge that to many of us consider terrifying, the specific hurdles he'll need to face down and why he's already excited about coming home. Craig's attitude is contagious and his story speaks to the freedom that comes from finding your passion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.