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Changing the Conversation on Body Image in Sport
My first experience as a coach happened quite by accident — both figuratively and literally. At the peak of my athletic career, just nine months away from the 2011 Olympic qualifiers, I was involved in a motorbike accident that left me with a broken leg. With my leg in a cast for two months, I…
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When an Expert Thinks It’s Wrong, It Might Be Just Right
As a kid, I spent hours flicking through the hundreds of vinyl records that my uncle Xabi had in his room. Some say he was the first—or one of the first—punks in San Sebastian. He had a band, wrote a fanzine, ran a record label, and even released one of the most iconic Spanish punk…
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Building a Winning Culture: 15 Lessons from the All Blacks
Some years ago, I was flicking through books in a well-known bookstore in the old part of San Sebastian when one caught my attention. By then, we had just returned from our most successful Olympic Games ever—Rio 2016—where we won three gold medals and a bronze. The book was Legacy by James Kerr. Its cover…
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Beyond Barriers: Women Leading the Future of Canoe Coaching
The morning air is crisp, biting at the skin. A delicate mist hovers over the still waters of the Holme Pierrepont National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham, catching the pale winter sun. On the water, a group of athletes paddle with quiet determination, their breath curling in the cold air as they prepare for their…
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The Power of Unity: Why True Greatness is Never a Solo Journey
Phil Jackson, the legendary basketball coach, once said that during Michael Jordan’s first six seasons in the NBA, he was by far the best player. Yet, despite his individual brilliance, he failed to win a single championship. In his book Sacred Hoops, Jackson explained: “A great player alone can only succeed to a certain extent,…
