Human or Athlete?

Charlie takes us on his journey through horrifically timed injuries to making his way through the Chelsea Academy to playing for free. His eventful and inspiring story is incredible to listen to and his ability to never quit, keep working harder and be able to see the positive and find a way to give to others. Thank you for sharing your story Charlie!

This podcast is all about taking the initiative for what you want, who you want to be and if that means being vulnerable, open and expressing who you are, then so be it! Lewis discusses his gofundme, the humility it takes to ask for help and the unexpected compassion of Jack Grealish who donated 2000£. We talk through injuries, mental health and listening to older players' advice, thank you Lewis, what a wise conversation!

Matteo and I go into how we meet, his story and the pro's and con's of life in football. We discuss how to deal with the setbacks and how to find a balance between life on and off the pitch and when that balance is crucial. Matteo goes into depth on his experiences and we talk about the importance of quality over quantity and humility over ego. 

Sorry for any of the lag, the connection was not the best!

Ruben brilliantly gives us his insight into his story as well as the setbacks that have defined his mentality. He goes into depth on the traits that have kept him going and we consistently see regardless of the "footballer ego", he is willing to take the initiative to grab opportunities and make them for himself. His persistence and drive is evident in this conversation and not one you want to miss! 

Craig and I have a brilliant conversation in this episode focusing on taking the pressure of yourself as an athlete, stepping back and finding the enjoyment in doing what you do. 
Craig asks the question if more can be done to support the mental health of athletes and we dive deep into the journey through injury and rehabilitation both as a physical process and as a mental battle. 
His insight into slowing down, taking walks and "looking up" is so important in todays fast-paced world of technology and impatience both as people and as athletes!

Yianni Nicolaou goes into how Loving what you do keeps you moving forward, keeps you turning up and coming back to put the work in day after day. We discuss how you can also use fear and hardships (dark energy) to fuel you to actually go forward in the right direction. 
We talk about breath work and its incredible benefits as well as why you have to try it! Even if it sounds weird and you're already very good at breathing. A brilliant and simple conversation with key advice for outworking everyone and using love to embrace fear. 

Matteo showing how important self-responsibility, accountability and ownership is especially when fighting uphill outside of professional sport. He shared knowledge on how he approaches matches, lockdown and life. 
We shared our insights into what you learn from not being at a club and how difficult it can be, but more importantly what we both learnt in those times. 
What a conversation especially for those in lockdown right now giving you some inspiration on how to approach it and what it means to get the best out of it. 

Ali discusses how important everything is that you do off the pitch and how that affects all you do on the pitch, it is all connected. Ali goes on to discuss his tools to stay aware, such as the power of meditation, headspace. 
We go on to talk about why you do what you do and how vital it is to focus on the journey. 

Kenji talks through his time at Manchester United, how he overcame his gambling addiction and his best advice on how to grow improve on and off the pitch. 
We go through the importance of gratitude, real true gratitude and appreciation at its core. He stresses how vital your environment is but that you always set your own standards and avoid comparison. 
Kenji is truly changing the definition of a footballer. 

On this podcast Roberto expresses the power of the inner journey through his battle with an eating disorder, his perspectives on happiness and opportunity and finally how he sees all suffering as blessings!