Blog

Sharing guidance and lived experience to optimise the athlete journey.

 

 

The Importance of Sleep by Sandy Wilson

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How do you sleep?


How often do you think about and reflect on your sleep as an athlete? Maybe once or twice a month, maybe in passing as you bemoan how tired you are feeling before training? For something that we do for several hours every day of our lives, sleep is often relegated to an afterthought, something that we have to do but if anything is a bit of an inconvenience.

My name is Sandy and I was previously a sprinter for Bath University and Scotland. Having left the sport through injur…

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Reflecting on 2022 by The Visions Podcast

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Featured episode 👆 



 

Introduction to The Visions Podcast:


My name is Destiny Ogali, I am an u23 International Sprinter that has represented GB and England at both the senior and junior levels. The sport of Track & Field has created so many opportunities for me that I am forever thankful for. Despite having some competition experience, I would still say I’m quite “new” to the sport in relation to understanding the inner workings of it all. Overall, I’m blessed to be able to do what I lo…

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Lessons From a Former Athlete; What I Want My Sons to Know by Matt Roberts

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Before we get started, Matt has recently created a FREE Psychological Playbook to help you unleash your potential! Find out more at the end of this blog 🤝




●  We are never defined by what we achieve.

●  The only real limits you’ll encounter are those created in your mind.

●  Happiness exists now, not when you achieve your next goal.

●  Listen to your body, it doesn’t lie. You can kid yourself, but you will get injured if you push too hard.

●  Everyone is born with different gifts but e…

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It's Okay to Not Be Okay by Darcey Kuypers

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📸 by Geoff Lowe



When I was around 4 years old, I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder known as Selective Mutism. For those who don’t know what this is, it’s when a child or adult does not refuse or choose not to speak at certain times, they’re literally unable to speak. The expectation to talk to certain people triggers a freeze response with feelings of panic, like a bad case of stage fright, and talking is impossible.

Although I got help when I was younger, this anxiety disorder manife…

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Bottling Things Up Does NOT Work, Trust Me... by Brydon Duncan

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Author Biography:

Name: Brydon Duncan

Age: 17

Event: Discus Throw

Performance Level: National Level

Contribution topic area: Mental Health


Who Am I?

My name is Brydon Duncan, I’m from Bromley, south-east London and I’m approaching my 18th birthday. I started athletics in 2019, as an upper U15. The reason I started doing discus is largely due to the fact that I was so much bigger than my peers, throughout my entire childhood. I’ve always been a large person, reaching 6ft tall before my 1…

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Team Selection: Why Do We Try So Hard? by Dan Putnam

Dan Putnam by James Rhodes

Track and field is tough.

Grinding it out almost every single day, through bitter, cold winter nights, all to try and make the smallest improvements that could be the difference between representing your country or not in major Championships. The one saving grace is that our sport is based on facts; who can run the fastest time, jump the highest, throw the furthest, so in theory if your performance is better than your rivals, the selection is guaranteed, right? Well, apparently not.

My career …

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A Message to Those Who are “One-Step Below the Top” by Jacob Nelson

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Generally in sport there seems to be a bigger emphasis on who the winners, medalists or top runners are. This can be seen across many sports, with track & field being no exception. This emphasis can create difficulties for those who are one-step below the top guys, with feelings of inadequacy being one that hits close to home for myself.

My name is Jacob, I’m mainly a 200m athlete. At youth and junior levels I regularly made finals in the 200m at the English Schools’ Championships and the Eng…

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Post-Viral Fatigue and Over-Training: How to Avoid, How to Cope, How to Recover by Daniel Rees

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Post-viral fatigue syndrome is nothing new. Yet in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has become a far more prevalent issue, with swathes of people struggling to make a full recovery from the initial infection. Dubbed “long Covid”, the drawn-out symptoms include severe fatigue, breathlessness, and anxiety. Below, I share my experience of post-viral fatigue, how I failed to avoid it, and what I am going to do differently this time around to ensure I don’t make the same mistakes. I hope this a…

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