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177 - Lloyd Ashley: I Fell Through a Ceiling And Landed a Career
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Lloyd Ashley spent years on the pitch as a professional rugby player. But what came after is just as powerful. In this episode, we sit down with Lloyd to talk about what it really means to transition from sport, how identity shifts when the structure fades, and how building a career in player support gave him purpose off the field.
From playing for the Barbarians to working as a plumber between games, Lloyd’s story is a masterclass in reinvention. He opens up about the fear of regret, the weight of uncertainty, and how small decisions like enrolling in a 12 week counselling course can change everything.
Now leading mental health and wellbeing support for the Welsh Rugby Players Association, Lloyd reflects on the messy, nonlinear path from elite sport to meaningful work and how he's helping others build futures with clarity, honesty, and courage.
What You’ll Hear
- How Lloyd balanced contracts, education, and part time jobs while still playing
- Why his plumbing apprenticeship shaped how he sees life after rugby
- What he learned from falling through a ceiling and earning £20 a day
- The surprising power of a 12 week counselling course that shifted everything
- Why taking your kids to school mattered more than another year in pro sport
- The difference between having options and having a plan
- How he built a post sport life with intention not panic
- Why regret can be more painful than failure
- How lived experience became his biggest asset as a Personal Development Manager
- What most athletes misunderstand about the real world
- How he supports athletes emotionally and practically during transitions
- Why it’s not just about having the answers but asking the right questions
Golden Nugget
“I didn’t want to walk away from sport with regret. So I chose to give everything to every opportunity, every course, every conversation even when I wasn’t sure where it would lead.”Want to go deeper?
If you are navigating what is next in sport or beyond, visit www.2ndwind.io
to learn more or book a consult.
View all episodes
By Ryan GonsalvesSend us a text
Lloyd Ashley spent years on the pitch as a professional rugby player. But what came after is just as powerful. In this episode, we sit down with Lloyd to talk about what it really means to transition from sport, how identity shifts when the structure fades, and how building a career in player support gave him purpose off the field.
From playing for the Barbarians to working as a plumber between games, Lloyd’s story is a masterclass in reinvention. He opens up about the fear of regret, the weight of uncertainty, and how small decisions like enrolling in a 12 week counselling course can change everything.
Now leading mental health and wellbeing support for the Welsh Rugby Players Association, Lloyd reflects on the messy, nonlinear path from elite sport to meaningful work and how he's helping others build futures with clarity, honesty, and courage.
What You’ll Hear
- How Lloyd balanced contracts, education, and part time jobs while still playing
- Why his plumbing apprenticeship shaped how he sees life after rugby
- What he learned from falling through a ceiling and earning £20 a day
- The surprising power of a 12 week counselling course that shifted everything
- Why taking your kids to school mattered more than another year in pro sport
- The difference between having options and having a plan
- How he built a post sport life with intention not panic
- Why regret can be more painful than failure
- How lived experience became his biggest asset as a Personal Development Manager
- What most athletes misunderstand about the real world
- How he supports athletes emotionally and practically during transitions
- Why it’s not just about having the answers but asking the right questions
Golden Nugget
“I didn’t want to walk away from sport with regret. So I chose to give everything to every opportunity, every course, every conversation even when I wasn’t sure where it would lead.”Want to go deeper?
If you are navigating what is next in sport or beyond, visit www.2ndwind.io
to learn more or book a consult.