December 17, 2020

Episode 29: Peak Performance with Laura Penhaul

1 hour 3 minutes

In this interview I have a conversation with Laura Penhaul. Laura was the Team Leader of the coxless crew who set two world records in January 2016. They rowed unsupported across the Pacific Ocean - 9,000 miles, taking 9 months to complete and 4 years to prepare for.

Laura previously was Lead Physiotherapist for the Paralympic Programme of British Athletics and worked at Vancouver, London and Rio Paralympic Games. Currently she is Lead Physiotherapist for the Olympic British Sailing Team.

In 2017, Laura was the Performance Manager for Mark Beaumont, where she supported him in his preparations and during his World Record achievement of cycling the World in 78 Days. Alongside this, Laura was the Performance Lead for the 'Adaptive Grand-slam', where she has supported the first ever veterans with disabilities to summit the 7 peaks and 2 poles in their performance preparation.

In this interview we examine:

What the 9000 mile row across the pacific taught Laura about managing her and the teams mental health

What physical aspects of the row impacted on her mental health

How Laura managed the human factors and crew dynamics over 9 months at sea with three friends

The self care involved in such a world record breaking challenge

The transferrable skills from elite performers that Laura has taken and learnt to help with her mental health?

Laura’s perspectives on leadership and followership with elite performers.

Key lessons that Laura has learnt over the years.

I hope you enjoy the episode

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