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A sudden realisation connected my family’s story to David Attenborough
More than 80 years ago, a generation of ordinary Britons opened their doors to Basque child refugees. One of them was my grandfather. Standing on the Dorset coast, in front of Old Harry Rocks, where Sir David Attenborough introduced his latest documentary, Ocean, I felt a sudden, deep personal connection to him. During the drive…
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A Week in Dorset, an ending on the page – My first book coming soon
I’ve just returned home from a lovely week in Dorset. Days steeped in family, sea breeze, long walks, fresh seafood, and the quiet satisfaction of finishing the second proof of my first book ‘The Champion’s Mindset’. I had promised myself this week to complete it; any longer, and my perfectionism would get in the way.…
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Paddle Games 2025 – taking the sport to where people are
I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved at the Paddle Games last weekend. We took the sport to where people are – instead of asking people to come and watch it. We built a format that put our amazing paddlers at the heart of the action. They are the true ambassadors of our sport –…
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When leadership means picking up a paddle
Leadership is not a rank, but acting on what is required in any given moment. It is having skin in the game. As a former international paddler, I could see that the conditions yesterday were not optimal for racing. On Saturday, I spoke to a member of the competition committee and asked them to be…
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The power of positive pressure
Many years ago, my parents gave me a copy of Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography as soon as it was released in Spanish. I had been a Mac and Apple user and always loved their products, but didn’t know much about Jobs’ story at the time. That book would shape a great deal of how I understand…
EKAITZ SAIES 