Ep.025 Athlete Story PodcastTransitioning from athlete to entrepreneur - Athlete Story ft former pro footballer R SasikumarWhen transitioning from athlete to entrepreneur, R Sasikumar notes how it was initially difficult to lose that sports mentality of external competition. Once he understood that the only competition was the “person in the mirror,” Sasi was able to create several successful businesses within the sports industry.R Sasikumar encourages us to think internally about the things you can control, rather than blame outside factors. He says that it's only you who can decide how hard you work, and it is only you who can determine the success of your endeavours.Many athletes are used to being constantly motivated by peripheral figures like coaches and managers. However, in the world of entrepreneurship, Sasikumar maintains that motivation must come from within. He adds that routine and a systematic approach is needed to keep motivation from wearing thin. On the other hand, he warns about having your ego stand in the way of asking for help. Trying to do everything on your own is not the solution he would opt for today. It just takes too long!Sasi also details how he's motivated by goals. If someone calls your goal crazy, then you know you have the right goal. Because 99% of the population won’t want to do the hard work to achieve that goal. But the 1% who go the extra mile will be significantly rewarded.In terms of advice for current or recently retired athletes, R Sasikumar says sportspeople should leverage their personal brand and translate that into a business. People invest in personality, communication and human interaction. You don’t need millions of followers to make money, you just need hundreds or thousands who are loyal to you.

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R Sasikumar“A lot of the time, we try to influence what’s around us. We make everything about the environment. When we do that, we always end up playing the blame game: “It’s their fault… It’s because of this… He said this..."

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About our guest

Founder Red Card Global and other successful sports businesses.From SingaporeEntrepreneur & Former International Footballer​Check out his online mentorship program to help athletes launch a sports coaching business

READ the transcript of full interview by clicking here.

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Ep.024 Athlete Story PodcastSetting the bar high - Athlete Story ft Marc Hauser - Guiness Record holder first jet stream skydiveMarc Hauser's inspiring journey to draw attention to renewable energy of the jet stream through a record breaking skydive into the jet stream evidences the benefit of setting the bar high.Marc Hauser is a skydiver – who is now on a mission to use sports to draw attention to renewable energy sources such as the jetstream. His jump out into the jetstream from a hot air balloon in 2018 just earned him a spot in the Guinness Records. But at the time of the jump his performance and record was actually the least of his concerns... You'll get that story as well as everything that went into prepping for it. Of course, I also want to dive into what is his personal takeaway from this whole experience and how he uses that today.Marc reminds us to capitalise on our short time on Earth, encouraging us to overcome our fears which stop our progression. If you’re given two paths in life, always take the one which has risk and requires bravery. Because that’s “where the magic happens.” 

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Marc HauserConnect with Marc on LinkedIn“I'm sure that realistic goals are absolute b*stards. Because you have to reach them! And if you don’t reach realistic goals, you're a loser. Just raise the bar a bit higher, a bit higher... till it sounds a bit ridiculous and it makes you smile. That's exactly where you should aim. Because then the goal itself starts to glow like a star.It's always better story if you have an ambitious, crazy, funny goal. If you don't reach that goal at the end, at least it's a story. If you have realistic goals and you do not reach them, it's not even a story...” 

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About our guest

Marc Hauser is on a mission to use sports and adventure to draw attention to renewable energy sources through storytelling and video production.He is a Guinness Record holder for first skydive into the jet stream.This whole mission was documented in collaboration with BBC World in the documentary CHASING THE JETSREAM that you can get on demand here:https://vimeo.com/ondemand/chasingthejetstreamSee how you can get Marc out to speak for you:​​​​​www.wavesofsuccess.ch

READ the transcript of full interview by clicking here.

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Ep.023 Athlete Story PodcastBreaking up with your sport and staying friends - Athlete Story ft UK Swimmer Rachel BoardmanFor many athletes, their first love is the sport they choose to pursue. So, when it’s time to retire, there’s a lot of complex emotions to process. Today’s guest is Rachel Boardman, an ex-swimmer whose health stopped her from achieving her dream of becoming an Olympian. She describes feeling as if her body betrayed her, likening the emotions to that of a relationship break-up. Rachel decided to channel this energy into creating her podcast, Beyond The Finish Line, which focuses on what athlete’s do after their sporting career comes to an end. In this episode, Rachel talks about her physical difficulty in trying to become a professional swimmer. She also touches on the mental struggle of not knowing what to do with her life after sport, which led her on an illuminating journey halfway across the world.

Rachel Boardman Former Swimmer and host of Beyond The Finish Line Podcast

«​When you’re travelling and you’re meeting all these people from across the world. You have the same introduction conversation every time. One of the things that I noticed was, I would tell people almost immediately I used to be a swimmer. I wasn’t telling them I had a PhD. I would much rather talk about all the stories I had from my time swimming. It just clicked that I’ve been hiding this part of myself since my health stopped me from pursuing swimming. I shouldn’t be hiding it. I should embrace it and doing something with it.»

READ the transcript of full interview by clicking here.

Rachel Boardman: It wasn't till a few years later when I had a break up with an actual person that I was like, "Actually, I had these exact same feelings when I left swimming." Then that was when it was like swimming was my first love-Automated voice: You are about to be taken into a chat about sports careers and related issues between an awesome guest and your listening host, the sports insider repurposed the Olympic mogul skier and former free ride world tour athlete, Anja Bolbjerg.INTRO with Anja Bolbjerg: In this episode, we'll talk about breaking up with your sport and staying friends after, so stay tuned. You'll meet Rachel Boardman from the Beyond the Finish Line podcast. This is Athlete Story, your show if you want to keep a connection to your athletic identity and to other athletes while pursuing your new mission in life after sports. I'm your host, former world top 10 skier in moguls and freeride skiing. Now, way into life after sports. I invite you to join me and other former athletes here on Athlete Story for resources to help you put your former sports career to work for you in life after sports.This image of a relationship breakup comes from former national UK swimmer, Rachel Boardman. She had to break up with swimming when her health didn't allow her to perform to the level of her technique. She found herself simply falling out of love with the sport that she used to be crazy about, but as most athletes when they retire, she had to go through some reinvention and she didn't find her new love right away and she didn't settle with swimming either. What she did was, she literally went on a walkabout in Australia, coming back with new insight about herself and a new mission, and having made peace little bit with swimming.Today, she's hosting a successful podcast about struggles in sports and mental issues with depression and also talking to for other former athletes who are now creating their own businesses. We'll talk about all that and we'll talk about falling out of love and staying friends. Let's welcome Rachel Boardman. Hi Rachel, welcome to the Athlete Story Podcast!Rachel Boardman:Hi. Well, thanks for having me on the show.

Ep.022 Athlete Story PodcastHaving a mentor to start your new mission in life after sports - Athlete Story ft Pernille Vaaben NielsenAfter retiring from professional handball in Denmark, Pernille Vaaben sought professional mentorship to help her navigate life after sport. Now, she finds herself in Australia as a sports marketer, working with high profile sports brands such as Nike.In this episode, we talk about how her sporting background has given her transferrable skills like working hard, working as a team, determination and passion. Pernille highlights how companies are actively looking to the world of sport for these kinds of skills.We also cover Pernille’s role as a sports marketer, discussing the intricacies of marketing sports and sportspeople. How sports marketing is mostly about finding the human angle and telling motivational stories of resilience.Most importantly, Pernille delves into what it meant for her to have a mentor to assist her in her transition from her sports career and in her professional development following retirement from handball. She details how mentorship helped her realise the assets she possesses as an ex-sportswoman. We also reinforce how it’s beneficial to have more than one mentor for different perspectives.Pernille says that mentors are incredibly receptive. When you reach out and tell your story, they’ll rarely say no. Former athletes usually have inspiring stories, and mentors often learn a lot themselves through guiding them to their next chapter in life. 

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Pernille Vaaben Nielsen​“Transitioning into employment after sports is tough. Sometimes you need a mentor to help you describe the values you have as an ex-athlete. Things like dedication, determination, resilience. These are skills that some people don’t have because they haven’t worked under the kind of pressure that athletes face. Businesses want these kinds of skills. So, if you are an athlete, reach out to mentors so you can take that next step.Because my mentor is a former athlete, she already knew the assets that I had. She showed me my value, and why I was important to my company. There was a time that I was stressed about not wanting to say “no” to work. She explained that it’s because I was so used to pushing the limits as an athlete and taught me how to control that mentality within my job.”

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About our guest

Pernille Vaaben Nielsen is a former Pro Player in team handball. SInce retiring from sports she has worked in sports marketing. She has experience both from the club side of things as a Brand & Sponsorship Manager and from managing client accounts within agencies in Australia and in Europe including some of the highest profile brands. Connect with Pernille on LinkedIn

READ the transcript of full interview by clicking here.

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Ep.021 Athlete Story PodcastHow to land your dream job in the sports industry ft Brian Clapp from workinsports.comBrian says that, when looking for jobs after retiring, athletes tend to focus on what they haven’t got rather than what they have got. He thinks that athletes don’t leverage their sporting background enough. Core skills like leadership, teamwork, time management and competitiveness are what companies are looking for. You can teach practical skills to do the job, but you can’t teach what’s inside of you. Sportspeople are naturally passionate and dependable, two key traits which Brian says form part of the ‘athlete’s spirit’.Brian acknowledges that former athletes may lack experience in the job market when they come to find employment after sport. However, he affirms that this can be counteracted by having a strong network, a good personal brand, and a story to tell. In addition, retired sportspeople should draw upon their innate coachability. Show your potential, your willingness to learn and your ability to overcome challenges. Brian jokes that this is a much more productive way of saying: “I don’t know how to do this.”Finding the right job is crucial for ex-athletes to continue feeling whole in their career. Brian encourages you to informally read job descriptions and discover what piques your interest. There is an array of natural progressions such as: marketing, sales, sports analysis, scouting and coaching. Whatever path you choose, make sure that it harnesses that ‘athlete’s spirit’.But a tip that I really loved was to actually “study” job descriptions in general to reverse engineer a great application.Most former athletes have little experience in job interviews. Brian says that how you carry yourself is extremely important – putting emphasis on showing a certain degree of humility. It’s possible for ex-athletes to be too cocky. Even if you’ve previously had a high-level professional sports career, it’s inappropriate to act as if you’re superior. Show humility and respect to a new work environment.

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Brian Clapp VP of Content and engaged learning at www.workingsports.com“Athletes have extreme advantages against other people looking to work in the sports industry. So often, they think about skills that I haven’t been able to develop. Rather than realising the achievements and skills they have gained. There are soft skills, and then there are majorly important skills like: teamwork, leadership, time management, coachability and competitiveness. That’s what employers look for.I interview sports execs across the world. When I ask: “What are you looking for when you hire someone?” They universally say that they can teach anyone skills to do a job. But they can’t teach them what’s inside of them. You cannot teach anyone dependability, passion or good listening.All these things I’ve mentioned are apart of the ‘athlete spirit’. This is exactly what an athlete is. They’ve grown up this way. They’ve had to manage their life and time in a different way. They’ve had to be dedicated to training. These are huge attributes which can transfer to many sections of the sports industry.So much is opportunity open to ex-athletes, simply because they have a special mentality. That alone puts them ahead of so many other people.”

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About our guest

Over the last two decades years Brian Clapp has been a fixture in the sports industry as a speaker, podcast host, content marketer, news director and sports producer. After beginning his career as a sports producer in Atlanta for CNN/Sports Illustrated, Brian switched coasts moving to Seattle to become...

Ep.020 Athlete Story PodcastRethinking a sport as an offer with Brand Manager for The Danish Sailing Champions League, former athlete Nynne AmmundsenToday’s guest is revolutionizing the appeal of sailing for a new generation!I think it's fascinating how big of a role that marketing and messaging plays in our decisions every day, even in sports. I'm not talking about how sponsors use sports and athletes to market their products. I'm talking about how sports itself needs to use marketing to stay relevant and interesting and keep recruiting new athletes. Former elite athlete, Nynne Ammundsen, loves working with events and seeing the impact events can have on people and the community. She realizes that a sport is an offer like any other offer, competing for people's attention.Today Nynne is Brand Manager for the Danish Sailing Champions League where she's been working with the team to popularize a not so easily accessible sport with to find creative rethinking of the offer of sailing as a competitive sport.In this episode, we talk about the challenges associated with assembling and marketing the sailing league. Nynne tells us about the initiatives set up by the Sejlsportsligaen (the Danish name) and special initiatives they've come up with like WOW (Women On Water). We also discuss the emerging E-Sports industry and how its being utilised within sailing.

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Nynne Ammundsen World Champion 2014 in Duatlon and Brand Manager for the the Danish Sailing League«​In a way, my main advantage is that I do not have any previous experience in sailing at this level. So, from my point of view, it's good because I will question mark things which sailors take for granted. Sometimes you need a different message to get new people on board. If you keep repeating certain words which non-sailors do not understand, then sailing will never be as popular a sport as we hope it will be soon.»

View this post on Instagram It's easier to grab a ball and go play somewhere than to start in the sport of sailing. Or to go sign up at a local gym to get in shape. So how do you attract people to the sport of sailing? That's a real question that sports like sailing have to deal with. Every sport offers something different as a bonus to the 'get in shape' part but it's not always clear before you are deep into the sport... Here's the intro to the newest episode on Athlete Story Podcast where brand manager for the Danish Sailing Champions League, @Sejlsportsligaen. #athlete story #sailing #championsleaguesailing #wow #womenonwater #competitivesport #sportsmarketing #sportsbranding #rethinkingsport #rebranding #womeninsport #womenandsport #sportevent #sportspodcast #newepisode #igtv A post shared by Athlete Story (@athletestorypodcast) on Mar 30, 2020 at 8:06am PDT

About our guest

Former elite athlete, Nynne Ammundsen, started working in events as a great way to combine her passion for and insight into the world of sports with a professional career. When she moved to Singapore for a couple of years she became  a conce...

Ep.019 Athlete Story PodcastOur Redefining Moments and sharing your lessons - Athlete Story ft Paralympic Silver Medalist & Public Speaker John F RegisterToday you'll meet a remarkable athlete turned public speaker, John F Register.When John had a really bad accident at the US Olympic trials in 400m hurdles, he was forced to make a really tough decision and rethink what would be his "new normal." Based on his impressive story, we talk about tough choices and transitions we are forced to make, the fears involved - and how removing something from your life can sometimes the best solution - even when it's a really tough decision.He refers to this as our "redefining moments."  We also talk about sharing the lessons from your story through public speaking. John helps athletes share their story so that it adds value to others and he gives us some tips. He also offers a free training call for the Athlete Story community, so make sure you let me know if you're interested in that.John talks about how having people in his life that were close enough to believe for him what he couldn't yet see for himself, has been critical. And how we need that in those tough redefining moments to help with that initial movement onwards.

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John F Register ​​All-American Hurdler, Paralympic Silver Medalist & Public Speaker«I began to speak to her about all my fears. And then she said the words that really stopped my downward spiral. She says: You know what, John. We're going to get through this together. You know, this is just our new normal...And when she said those words she really baselined my entire existence. Because all these fears I had were really unfounded. They were only MY fears, MY thoughts of what the future might look like. And who had put them in there? ...And as I started, you know through my sobs and crying, my son John Jr, he jumps off the swing set. He hits the ground. He comes running over on those little 5 and half years old legs and he says: -Hey dad, did you see my big jump, you see my big jump, dad? Dad did you look at my jump?   And he comes in between myself and Alice seeing that I'm struggling.  And in those 20 meters, he's just validated me as his father. And he has created HIS new normal. And so really, they have moved on before I have moved on. And sometimes we need those individuals in our lives that are so close to our inner circle that they believe for us what we cannot yet see for ourselves. And that's critical to have that very small inner circle around us to help us with that initial movement in those redefining moments that we have and that we will have to go through. »

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“I did not overcome the loss of my limb.  To overcome the loss would mean I’d have to grow it back.  What I overcame were the limits I placed on myself and that others placed on me.  This is what is universal for all of us to overcome.”  Quote from John's websiteJohn F Register, Paralympic Long Jump Silver Medalist & Public Speaker and Founder of Inspired Communications

About our guest

John F Register was in the military when he was an All-American hurdler. He had it all planned out for his sports career, having qualified for the US Olympic Trials and then for a career after sports in the military. An accident costing him his one leg (literally) changed things. But that didn't stop John from continuing to achieve great things in both fields as you will hear in this episode.Follow John on Instagram

Ep.018 Athlete Story PodcastStarting your own nonprofit after sports - Athlete Story ft Berit Nielsen LegrandThe is the second part of the series wiht athletes who are making an impact after sport.Maybe you’ve considered becoming an ambassador for a nonprofit or volunteering for a greater cause. As a follow-up on the last episode about making an impact after sports, we’ll meet a former athlete who started her own non-profit.Today’s guest started The Animal Fund in 2015, with the mission to save our oceans issue by issue – from endangered whales to ocean pollution. After a career in finance, karate blackbelt and former water skiing champion, Berit Nielsen Legrand, it was time for her to take real action.We’ll be talking about her experience with nonprofit work, what you need to consider as a former athlete before you engage with nonprofit organizations – and of course how she uses lessons from sports to get results in this new environment.

« We know that the ocean is polluted. We dont need 5 million other people out there researching, going on boats, asking for funding for the next three years because you wanna study the ocean.... We know plastic is killing our Earth... We know all these things.... There's no need to study anything anymore. Just get on with it and find solutions ! »

You can also watch a video version of this interview here.

READ the transcript of full interview by clicking here.

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What we’re seeing is getting worse and worse. It’s like a diet that never worked.Everybody knows what to do but we keep making the same mistakes!

Berit Nielsen Legrand​​ - Nonprofit founder & former Karate champion

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“What we’re seeing is getting worse and worse. It’s like a diet that never worked.Everybody knows what to do but we keep making the same mistakes!”Berit Nielsen LegrandNonprofit founder, The Animal Fund

About our guest

After sports and a successful career in finance, Berit decided to take action to save the oceans. She wanted to make an impact, so what did this champion do. Of course she went ahead and started her own nonprofit which is now growing internationally and helping with everything from simple beach cleanups to awareness, actions and education on the issue of ocean pollution and its endangered species – upon which the planet relies for oxygen! Her love and passion for the ocean and the animals has been with her since a child.

Ep.018 Athlete Story PodcastStarting your own nonprofit after sports - Athlete Story ft Berit Nielsen LegrandI want to introduce you to a series of athletes who are making an impact after sport. We’ll start by meeting Taekwondo champion Marlene Harnois. After ending her sports career in a bit of drama – ranked no. 1 in the world, she decided to go to Africa. We met in person at International University of Monaco for this chat.After winning the Olympic bronze medal, Marlene Harnois found herself deselected from the French team even though she was still ranked top of the world. She tried to see how she could keep competing but when the leadership got dirty and personal, she decided to retire.This time was hard on Marlene. But what do champions do? They move on. And so did she, as you’ll hear in this chat about retirement, and creating new opportunities for yourself by giving first.

« We know that the ocean is polluted.We dont need 5 million other people out there researching, going on boats, asking for funding for the next three years because you wanna study the ocean.... We know plastic is killing our Earth... We know all these things.... There's no need to study anything anymore. Just get on with it and find sollutions ! »

You can also watch a video version of this interview here.

READ the transcript of full interview by clicking here.

Anja: The lessons you learn from a sports career often come from what’s around the sport. That’s from the game itself, sometimes you land on a mass of broken systems and power and politics and you have to make the best of it. Today we’ll meet Marlene Harnois who found herself in the middle of this kind of leadership mess around the London Olympics. She didn’t just manage to win an Olympic bronze with that, she took it beyond herself and did so much more.Stay tuned. This is Athlete’s Story and I’m your host Anja Bolbjerg from World Top 10 Skier in Logos and Free Ride Skiing. Now, wait until Life After Sports, I invite you to join me and other former athletes here on Athlete’s Story for resources to help you repurpose your sports career for new exciting opportunities after sports.After winning the Olympic bronze medal, Marlene Harnois found herself deselected from the French team even though she was still ranked top of the world. She tried to see how she could keep competing but when the leadership simply got dirty and personal, she decided it was time to retire. This full picture of the broken system she was operating in and the leadership conflict of interest didn’t really get exposed til years later when other stories like this surfaced. All this time was hard on Marlene, but what do champions do? They move on, right, and so did she as you’ll hear in this chat about retirement and creating new opportunities for yourself by giving first. Let’s welcome Olympic medalist, decorated Knight of the Order of Merit by the French president, Champion for Peace of the Peace and Sport Organization, and yes MBA candidate at the International University of Monaco. Without further ado, Marlene Harnois. Hi, Marlene.Marlene: Hi.Anja: Thanks for coming, I’m so happy you could make it.Marlene: Thank you very much for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here.Anja: Before we dive into a little bit of your sports story and all the merits, I’d like to hear about the time when you retired because you retired right after getting a bronze medal at the London Olympics, right?Marlene: Yes. London Olympics, well Olympics has always been my dream. I started taekwondo as a little girl. I was four-years-old in Canada. When I was 14-years old I was invited by friends to come and train here so I moved to France. I was always carrying around this Olympic dreams and I won two titles as a European Champion,

Ep.016 Athlete Story PodcastSports Documentary AFTER THE GAME – interview with filmmaker April Abeyta about her upcoming movieDo you love a good sports documentary? AFTER THE GAME is an upcoming sports documentary following a coach and two athletes on a basketball team from the late 1990’s and then catching up today to see how sports has influenced their mindset and who they are today. In this episode you’ll meet the filmmaker herself, April Abeyta. I’d also like to use this opportunity to  send you to the AFTER THE GAME crowdfunding campaign hereAfter The Game is a basketball documentary where we follow a few real-life female athletes who played basketball on the same team in college back when the WNBA had only just launched.April Abeyta actually played on that team herself, so she had access to capture not only the game action but also the all the emotions, and the atmosphere and life around the game.The theme of the movie is very core to the Athlete Story community because it revolves around the AFTER The Game part of sports and how the lessons from sports can be used and repurposed in life after sports. IN the movie, we catch up with the women today in situations where they each discover how their background in sports actually helps them tackle life’s new challenges.I’m so excited for you to meet a real filmmaker of this upcoming sports documentary ! So let’s welcome April Abeyta for a chat about her movie : AFTER THE GAME

READ the transcript of full interview by clicking here.

Anja: If you love sports documentaries stay tuned because today on Athlete Story we’ll take a closer look at one of the upcoming sports movies. It’s called After The Game and we’ll have a chat with the filmmaker herself, April Abeyta. This is Athlete Story your show if you want to keep a connection to your athletic identity and other athletes while pursuing your new mission in life.I’m your host Anja Bolbjerg, former world top 10 skier in mobile skiing and free ride skiing. Now, pretty far into life after sports. Join me and other former athletes here and Athlete Story for resources to help you put your former sports career to work for you today. Here at Athlete Story we know that some people have an MBA to lean on you, you have your sports career. Subscribe now and get notified for every new episode.All right, then let’s get started. After The Game is a basketball documentary, where we follow a few real life female athletes who played basketball on the same team in college, back when the WNBA had only just launched. Now, the filmmaker, April Abeyta actually played on that team herself. She had access to capture not only the game action, but also all the behind the scenes, the atmosphere, the emotions, and the whole life around the game.Women’s basketball was not really media type back then. For sure, nobody walked around with cameras like we do today, so we can look forward to some pretty exceptional footage in the movie, I think. I guess she must have carried around big camera and caught it on tapes. Anyways, the theme of the movie is very core to the Athlete Story community because it revolves around that after the game part of sports and how the lessons from sports can be used and repurposed in life after sports.In the movie, we will actually catch up with the women today, in situations where they each discover how their background in sports is actually helping them tackle life’s new challenges. Let’s move on to the interview. I’ll make sure to ask April to give some personal examples as well about how playing sports has influenced her own personality and lifestyle an...