Athletes In The Zone Podcast

Melissa Dhillon and Dr. John Pates sit down together to discuss the unconscious mind in depth and its impact on sport.

Melissa chats with professional footballer Kobe Jae Chong about the transition into full-time sport, impressing during trials, and how he gets into the best mental state to perform each game.  

Born in Birmingham, Chong had a journeyman youth career, beginning first at West Bromwich Albion, moving onto Kidderminster Harriers, and in 2016 making the move abroad to join the youth system at Italian club Cagliari. He would return to England in 2018, playing for Non-League clubs Solihull Moors, Banbury United, Redditch United and Sutton Coldfield Town. After a successful trial, midfielder Chong made the move to professional football, signing for Peterborough United in August 2021.

Melissa is joined by Quantum Sports Psychologist David Karasek to discuss the life lessons he has had during a career in sports and business.  

Born in Zurich, David was a swimmer who specialised in freestyle and individual medley events. He qualified for the men's 200m individual medley event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, placing 28th overall in the heats stage, but ultimately not progressing to the semi-finals. 

With a high-level career in swimming looking out of reach, David took advantage of his academic work at universities in Zurich, Madrid and Virginia to enter the business. He is the founder of the Tribe of Athletes, an online community which focuses on developing consistent confidence within professional athletes. David's particular field of expertise now is Quantum Sports Psychology and helping teams to have more frequent and more consistent peak performance experiences.

 Melissa is joined by Tennis coach Tanisha Rohira to discuss life as a travelling coach, and focus on the mental sides of being a leader that are often overlooked.  

A former professional player, Tanisha Rohira now works a travelling coach for female players at all levels of Tennis.

Melissa is joined by Emirati cricketer Jonathan Figy to discuss his experiences in professional cricket and the biggest influences on his young career so far.

Born in Dubai to Indian parents, Jonathan Figy attended Winchester College on a cricket scholarship. On 15th December 2019, Figy made his One Day International debut for the United Arab Emirates at the age of 18, and was named in the UAE's squad for the Under-19 Cricket World Cup the following year. He made history in the first game of the tournament against Canada when he scored an unbeaten 102 runs, making him the first UAE batsman to record a century in the history of the competition.

Melissa is joined by professional tennis player Noah Rubin to discuss how he has overcome mental health issues whilst working on his career.  

After a successful career as a junior, Noah turned professional in 2015 and has since won four ATP titles. Life in tennis is not as many may see it to be however. Noah's struggles have resulted in him changing his perceptions of both tennis and life. He is the founder of 'Behind the Racquet' where fellow players share their personal struggles of living on the professional tour.

Melissa is joined by transition coach Dr Simon Le Clerc to discuss the importance of psychology in reframing an athlete's purpose.

Dr Simon Le Clerc is the managing director and founder of Player Support Services Ltd, a company who provide support to athletes transitioning out of their career in professional sport.

Melissa is joined by professional boxer CJ Challenger to discuss the importance of learning from mistakes, not just in sport but in all aspects of life.

CJ Challenger grew up kickboxing since the age of three and transitioned into the world of boxing in his mid-teens.

Melissa is joined by Tottenham Hotspur players Rosella Ayane and Shelina Zadorsky to discuss what enables them to perform at their best in elite sport.

Rosella Ayane started her career with Chelsea after coming through the club's Centre of Excellence. After making four loan appearances, Rosella moved across to Tottenham Hotspur where she plays as a forward. Having initially played for England at U17 and U19 level, Rosella has gone on to be capped at senior level by Morocco.  

Shelina Zadorsky played college soccer for the Michigan Wolverines and began her senior career with Ottawa Fury in her home country. She has since gone on to play for clubs in Australia, Sweden, the United States and England, moving to Tottenham Hotspur in 2021 after an initial loan spell at the club. Rosella has been capped more than 70 times at senior level by her country, won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and will compete for Canada at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.