On this episode of Athlete Things, Sam and Danny sit down with u93kg Junior lifter from Great Britain, Nathan Gevao!

Nathan has had a very successful year of Powerlifting, after moving up to the 93kg class in his last year as a junior he became the best lifter overall at the 2023 British Junior Nationals and just won his first-ever title at the most recent IPF Junior World Championships in Romania.

The episode dives deep into Nathan's preparation for Worlds, how he became World Champion as well as some reflections on his Junior powerlifting career as he heads into Opens.

In this episode, Sam, Shania and Danny discuss topics surrounding advice they wish they have for newer lifters/themselves when they were first starting powerlifting. They go over how to manage injuries, how hard they should train, comparison, setting long term goals and managing technique.

Key Takeaways:
1. Everyone gets hurt, but few injuries are career ending.
2. Everyone goes through highs and lows, comparison to someone else can be detrimental.
3. Powerlifting progress is a long term plan.

On this episode of Athlete Things, Sam and Danny sit down with 84+ lifter from Perth, Australia, Natalie Laalaai. 

Nat went to her first-ever World Championships this year in Malta where she came home as the new deadlift world record holder with a huge 268kg deadlift. 

They chat about her first World's experience as well as how training unfolded into the lead up into the event, and what she has in store next.

On this episode of Athlete Things, Sam Steve and Danny sit down with u47kg Vicky Kijumnuayporn.

Vicky represented Australia for the first time at this year's Open World Classic Championships where she came fifth place in a highly stacked U47kg class.

They discuss Vicky’s mental and physical preparation for her first Worlds, her overall experience and much more.

On this episode of Athlete Things, Sam Danny and Shania sit down with u57kg lifter from the USA, Natalie Richards.

They discuss what contributed to Natalie's quick rise in the sport including becoming the u57kg World Champion at this year's IPF Championships in just her fourth year of competing.

In this episode, the team discuss the importance of balancing structure and flexibility of the program. They discuss periods of time where more or less structure can be imposed, how to create more predictability in training, and 'meso-predictability' for those with unpredictable external situations.

Key Takeaways
1. Flexibility can help find what works for an athlete before imposing structure.

2. Training predictability can improve outcomes. When there are inconsistent external variables it can throw off weekly predictability.

3. Communication and planning ahead can help those who do not have predictable schedules in order to take advantage of potential recovered days.

Summary:

In this episode of The Roundtable, Danny, Sam, Shania and David discuss common modes of communication they use throughout the online coaching experience. Common formats such as text, video, voice message, video conferencing are discussed and explored with their advantages and disadvantages. They also discuss differences in learning, what people respond best to and how this changes as someone evolves throughout the coaching experience.

Key Takeaways:

1. Different formats in communication have different strengths and weaknesses. 
2. The type of information being relayed may favour a different type of communication.
3. Some people require differences in what information is being communicated based on experience level, time spent with a coach, overthinking vs not overthinking.

On this episode of Junior Athlete Things Leanne and Danny sit down with Eszter Sallai, representing Hungary as an U69kg female at the 2023 Junior IPF Worlds, coached by Steven Day. 

They discuss Eszter’s performance at nationals despite becoming the three times national Hungarian champion, she was not satisfied with performance and is looking for more come Junior Worlds. She explains how she is feeling going into worlds, with confidence high as her training is kicking off hitting some big numbers

Summary:

In this episode of The Roundtable, the Perf team discusses the traits that make a coaching experience more positive and how athletes can display coachable or uncoachable traits. They emphasize the importance of handling both good and bad training sessions, finding effective modes of communication, and suspending expectations. They also highlight the need for athletes to take responsibility for their own progress and respect the boundaries between coach and friend. The team shares personal experiences and insights to provide valuable information for athletes and coaches alike.

Key Takeaways:

1. Handling bad training sessions and competitions is crucial for a positive coaching experience.
2. Effective communication and finding the right mode of feedback delivery is essential for coachability.
3. Collaborative problem-solving and admitting mistakes can strengthen the coach-athlete relationship.
4. Respecting boundaries and maintaining a professional coaching relationship is important for long-term success.
5. Managing expectations and taking responsibility for progress outside of training is key to a positive coaching experience.

Quotes:

• "Not everything's always going to go in an uphill trend and being able to handle those situations and stay with your coach long term to deal with them and figure out what's going to work moving forward." - Shania
• "Being open to asking questions and finding a mode of communication that works for you is important for coachability." - Sam
• "It's important to balance being friendly with maintaining a professional coaching relationship to avoid blurring boundaries." - David
• "If you're not executing as an athlete, that's where the results are always going to fall short." - Shania
• "Building trust and being able to have difficult conversations is crucial for a positive coaching experience." - Sam

On this episode of Junior Athlete Things Leanne and Danny sit down with Kian Tong Tan (Bobby), U74kg Junior lifter coached by Kelly Mann. 

They discuss Bobby’s experience winning Singapore Junior Nationals, how he approached his prep mentally and reflected on his comp day performance. He also talks about his goals heading into Junior Worlds alongside bigger long term goals beyond 2023 Jr Worlds.