My life literally changed, forever.

Sir Steve Redgrave, Henry Slade and Muhammad Ali - what do they have in common?

Yes, they are all international sporting superstars, but they are also type 1 diabetics, the condition that changed my life, forever.

From the moment they told me I might not be able to do gymnastics anymore, that was when I knew I was going to prove them wrong.

My name is Abi. I am a final year student and an ex-international acrobatic gymnast, and on the 11th September 2011, …

“Will I ever run again?”

It was the first question I remember asking when I woke up from a week long coma.

My name is Emma. I’m the athletics programme manager at Loughborough University and used to be a half decent sprinter. I made it to a few British Championships finals, picked up some medals along the way, and competed for England and GB U23s back in the day.

Photo by Nigel Farrow

In July 2014 I was 29 and winding down from high level competition. I’d moved from Loughborough to Card…

‘Records are made to be broken’

Could this increasing pressure be driving athletes away from the sport and subsequently, due to rising standards could more athletes be developing injuries as a result?

‘But that’s part and parcel of being an athlete…’

For athletes in Olympic and Paralympic Sports, high calibre performance represents the pinnacle of what they hope to achieve (Henrickson et al, 2017). Granted, pressure is a very open term, whilst many athletes will experience worries and stress …

📸 by: @Sakurasportsmedia

What is RED-S?

RED-S stands for ‘Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport’. RED-S is caused when an individual’s dietary energy intake is insufficient to support the energy expenditure required for everyday health and optimal function once the cost of exercise has been considered [1]. In simple terms, energy expenditure > energy intake to a point where physiological function is impaired in the body’s bid to save energy (metabolic rate, menstrual function, bone health, imm…

What’s up people, I begin this piece by sending peace to everyone reading this and introduce myself - my name is Daniel Oderinde and I am a former national and international medallist at the youth/junior level (AAA’s bronze medallist and FISEC International Catholic School Games 100m champion). As you can tell by my writing in the past tense, I have stopped pursuing a career in athletics, that was due to having suffered from an on-going chronic knee injury called patella femoral pain syndrome. W…

Why are you doing it?

I have read a lot recently around the topic of direction, purpose and how finding your 'why' is so important, I couldn't agree more. Have you ever taken the time out of your day to sit back and just think, think about what you do that makes you feel happy, what makes you say "I have had a great day today"?

I have been on one hell of a ride over these past few months (haven't we all...) though it is the small things that have made it an enjoyable experience, enjoying the h…

A guide for understanding Mental Health and Thriving in elite sport

The Olympic Games. A prestigious event in the sporting world that occurs every 4 years. It is logical to propose that every athlete in competitive sport dreams of one day participating.

Those who are Olympians hold themselves to extreme standards, but at what cost? Striving to compete among the best in the world can be considered a “double-edged sword”.

On one hand, athletes may receive recognition for all the hard work thr…

‘The Athlete Afterlife’ – how high performance environments allow a simplistic and successful transition to the world of work.

“Guidance for athletes to maximise potential in high performing environments”

It isn’t uncommon that athletes struggle to accept that sport doesn’t last forever. What feels like a lifetime of success is usually only 20 years on average^[13]. What happens after that? The fear of entering the real world and realising hours of pushing your body and mind to its…

In some ways, being a semi-professional athlete is a thankless job. You train just as hard as those at the top do, but the rewards aren’t reaped until you make that critical breakthrough to the “elite” level.

This is not a complaint about our lot, but rather an observation of fact. We are often told to stay motivated by keeping in mind our goals and focusing on the end result. However, especially due to the times we are in, these can seem rather remote. 

think that’s why it is important to e…

Following a late call up to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where I was a spare and had to lose 12kg in 7 days to make weight, I returned home as part of Team GB and with a certificate saying I was an Olympian. A dream I had worked for since I was 6, having watched the 92 games in Barcelona.

As I'm sure we can all appreciate the time, effort, discipline etc that goes into what we love doing and being the best we can be. While also the honour of representing our country. 

One thing…