Gina Kennedy made history by becoming the first ever English woman to win the Gold at 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with a phenomenal week of squash playing at the highest level and defeating some of the worlds best players along the way.

We unpack her preparation for the event and what she did to stay so focussed and in the zone during it when the pressure and stakes were at their highest.

We had a really insightful and deep conversation into all things mental and mindset and she really opens up and gives some fantastic tips and tools for everyone to learn and try out. 

She also recently completed a Masters dissertation all about the placebo effect of wearable technology when it comes to training and mindset and we talked about her view and perception of this. Really interesting stuff and I think you will like what she has to say!

We also go down loads of rabbit holes including pressure and how this has changed for her. Learning under Mike Way at Harvard. Learning to reframe mentally. How she handles nerves and pressure pre-match. How to get to and try and achieve the flow state. The mentality around her fitness regimen. Perfectionism and the pros and cons of this mindset. And also the huge influence her coach Ben Ford has had on her life both on and off the court. 

You’re in for a real deep dive into the mind of one of the worlds fastest rising stars and she does not disappoint. I loved how open and honest she was in all she talks about and just a humble, grounded and very fun person to spend the best part of an hour with. 

So please enjoy my conversation with Gina Kennedy.

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Today I am delighted to have on the show arguably one of the greatest and most successful squash coaches of all time Rahamt Khan.

Rahmat has a superb story and journey to tell and he brings it to life wonderfully in this episode and I feel so lucky and grateful to have spent this time and to have this conversation with him. 

Rahmat was the coach of legendary squash player Jahangir Khan. Who famously won an incredible 555 matches IN A ROW! The greatest winning steak in sporting history for any individual or team and has since had books and features made about this incredible feat. Rahmat had a large part to play in this record as well as the other titles Jahangir achieved most notably 10 British Open titles and 6 World Championship Titles. 

Rahmat himself was a top professional player back in the late 70s and early 80s but had decided to end his playing career early in order to coach and mentor Jahangir due to the tragic and untimely deaths of Jahangir broth Torsam whilst playing a squash match. Rahmat and Torsam were incredibly close friends and this untimely death of Torsam took everyone by surprise and changed the course of squash history. He shares this story in great detail.

During our conversation we delve into the mind and mental state of what made Jahangir such an icon and achieve all the success he did. Rahmat shares some of the intense and brutal training that was performed and how the motivation of playing for Torsam was a guiding force in regard to them both turning up day in and day out and doing everything for a greater cause. 

This is such a wonderfully beautiful description of a very special time in squash history and I am sure you are going to enjoy this conversation as much as I did recording it. Thank you kindly to Rahmat taking the time to sit with me and please do sit back and enjoy what we discuss today. 

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Deep wisdom and sound advice from REBT expert and practitioner Dr. Martin Turner on the subject of Handling Pressure and the power this setting holds when it comes to being a high performer and getting the best out of ourselves. 

For the full episode and to get more wisdom like this CLICK HERE.

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Today I welcome to the show Tim Harkness.

Tim is the head of Sports Science and Psychology at Chelsea Football Club and has been in his role since 2009 so he is well versed when it comes to all things mental and the mind and how to get the best out of players at the cutting edge of the elite level. 

But this is not just a conversation for high performers. We talk so many different subjects in this wonderful and illuminating conversation and cover subjects such as mental health and how cultivating solid mental health leads to mentally tough people. He also touches on the inspiration he received from the work of Martin Seligman and how this forms a lot of his thinking and practical tools he uses with the players he coaches and works with. I learnt so much from what he had to share on this subject. 

Tim wears many different hats and has worked with athletes in all domains ranging from Olympic archers, to pro golfers, to Indian Premiere League cricket players, to squash players, to rugby players, and of course to world class footballers. 

Over the past 20 years or so Chelsea football club have become a powerhouse in the English Premier League and won multiple trophies in all competitions. Tim’s role has been pivotal when it comes to some of the success the football team has had and continues to have. 

One of the big areas I am curious about is what are the common traits and habits of athletes who are successful in life and what they do. Tim shares what he notices and sees on this subject and how we can all look to cultivate these habits and behaviours in ourselves in order to be our utter best. 

I was delighted to have this conversation with Tim and feel lucky to call him a friend and he certainly delivers on this show with his wisdom, experience, and sound advice. 

So please sit back and enjoy my conversation with Tim Harkness. 

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Today I am delighted to have on the show Dr. Martin Turner. 

Martin is a bit of a rock star when it comes to his work in the field of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and in particular in his specialist field of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT). 

Martin has won numerous awards for his incredible work and is currently a researcher at the Manchester Metropolitan University.

He achieved the Albert Ellis award for research in 2018 from the Albert Ellis Institute, New York, to recognise the impact of his Frontiers paper “Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), irrational and rational beliefs, and the mental health of athletes”. 

This paper is in the top 1% of read articles in Frontiers (> 70,000 views) and has been cited over 30 times.

He also received the 2013 PhD of the year award from The BPS Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology, and won best thesis and highest academic profile awards for his MSc studies.

Not only these amazing accolades but in 2019, he was presented with an Outstanding Achievement Award  by the Association for Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (AREBT) for his work in the field, and bestowed upon him an Academic Fellowship of the AREBT. 

Quite incredible and I feel you are all in for such a fantasising and mind opening conversation. 

We dive deep into so many rabbit holes including REBT and the practical applications of this, Stoic philosophy and the power this holds in the athletic and life domains, how mindfulness lends itself to REBT, what disputing is when it comes to REBT, and how to access a state of emotional regulation when the pressure and stakes may be at their highest.

To see and hear more from Martin check out his website as well latest news on his upcoming books visit: www.TheSmarterThinkingProject.com 

In the meantime, buckle in for a journey into the mind and how I think you may look at things slightly differently by the end of the show.

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Deep wisdom and sound advice from world renowned rock climber Hazel Findlay on the subject of How To Develop Attentional Control and the power this setting holds when it comes to being a high performer and getting the best out of ourselves. 

For the full episode and to get more wisdom like this CLICK HERE.

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Deep wisdom and sound advice from world renowned rock climber Hazel Findlay on the subject of Flow and the power this setting holds when it comes to being a high performer and getting the best out of ourselves. 

For the full episode and to get more wisdom like this CLICK HERE.

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Deep wisdom and sound advice from Olympic Silver medalist in Rowing Cath Bishop on the subject of Identity and Self Worth and the power this setting holds when it comes to being a high performer and getting the best out of ourselves. 

For the full episode and to get more wisdom like this CLICK HERE.

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Deep wisdom and sound advice from Olympic Silver medalist in Rowing Cath Bishop on the subject of Gratitude and the power this setting holds when it comes to being a high performer and getting the best out of ourselves. 

For the full episode and to get more wisdom like this CLICK HERE.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.