The Mindset Athlete Podcast

The past seven years have been a deep dive into personal development for Thane Marcus Ringler.

The object of that development began as the arena of professional golf with the subject of that development being yours truly. During his golf career, he left no stone unturned in regards to maximizing his human potential.

This ceaseless striving led to a strong grasp of the process involved in producing his best work, whether that be within an office, sweating in the gym, or for the business he is creating.

Since professional golf, his aim has been to come alongside others in their word and lives, to empower them to maximize their potential.

In the episode we discussed:

- Intentionality vs Intentions

- What's it like going from being a professional golfer to becoming a coach, speaker and author?

- How did you keep faith when you didn't make the PGA Tour?

- 'There are no free lunches'

- 'FAILING isn't FATAL and FAILURE isn't FINAL'

- How do we stay hopeful in 2020?

Amongst others

You can learn more about Thane via his website thanemarcus.com and connect with him on Instagram.

For more information about The Mindset Athlete by connect with us on Facebook @mindsetgamepodcast

For more information about James Roberts (the host of the podcast), visit fitamputee.co.uk and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Nathan Jones, aka Mr Bag & Tag – a professional MMA fighter, hard-working athlete and a dedicated martial artist (KickBoxing black belt and Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt).

What got me into martial arts was, I was at a low point in my life, so any attempt to find the happiness I was living my life by the YES MAN philosophy (watch/ read it) – I had a friend that went for a free trial at the gym, so I said yes. I enjoyed the session except being covered in other people's sweat – but I kept an open mind. When asked if I wanted to join I said yes, when asked if I wanted to compete I said yes, when asked if I wanted to fight… I said when!

I used martial arts to harness my energy and focus. From being bullied at school and attacked on the street – I promised that I would not be a victim again for anybody. I became quicker, stronger and have overcome many obstacles, the main one of overcoming fear (becoming a professional athlete!).

In the episode we discussed:

- Can you talk to us about the "Yes Man" Philosophy

- What mindset did you need to get into to achieve your Black Belt in KickBoxing and your Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

- How do you keep the youth engaged?

- Do you think martial arts help you keep control in uncontrollable situations?

- "I'd rather be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war" - Bruce Lee

- Do you have to put on a different persona walking in the cage?

- Are you totally locked in after having your hands wrapped?

- What's it like having your family watching you get hit?

- Who gave you the nickname Mr Bag & Tag?

Do you practice KO's?

* Amongst others and this was recorded before all the new lockdown restrictions *

You can learn more about Nathan via his website inthebagptc.com and connect with him on Instagram.

For more information about The Mindset Athlete by connect with us on Facebook @mindsetgamepodcast

For more information about James Roberts (the host of the podcast), visit fitamputee.co.uk and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

In one moment, Robert was in the best day of his life, competing for the collegiate rugby national championship. In the next moment, his life changed forever. Robert suffered a spinal cord injury in the first minutes of the game and found himself face down in the turf unable to move anything below his neck. His doctor told him he would never walk or move his hands for the rest of his life. Through an unbreakable vision and relentless determination, Robert is defying the odds. He has graduated from UC Berkeley, is winning the fight to walk again, and is sharing his method of how he overcomes quadriplegia.

In the episode we talked about:

- I'm assuming that rugby wasn't the first sport you took part in?

- How long did it take to get your head around not being able to throw the ball forward?

- Were there any times you were resentful for what had happened to you?

- How do you think Major League Rugby (MLR) will fair?

- Do you think education is key? Because rugby came before American Football.

- Do you think USA Rugby can ever be a dominant power within the game of ruby?

- Have you ever contemplated doing Quad Rugby/ Murderball/ Wheelchair Rugby?

Amongst others

You can learn more about Robert via his website robertpaylor.com and connect with him on Instagram.

For more information about The Mindset Athlete by connect with us on Facebook @mindsetgamepodcast

For more information about James Roberts (the host of the podcast), visit fitamputee.co.uk and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Jarnell is a world-class athlete, wellness advocate, and veteran NBA player. Jarnell was ranked #3 in the nation during his basketball career, drafted 35th overall, 2x Gold medalist, and has played professionally since 2014.

Dedicating his life off the court to educating and inspiring all to question all assumptions and turn the tables on mental health & wellness, Jarnell sees his community as extending members of his team.

In the episode we spoke about: - What was it like being ranked #3 in the country coming out of High School? - Why did you pick to attend and play at the University of Tennessee? - How do the kids at 17/18 years old make the right decision in your option? - Why do you think sport has said enough is enough towards injustices and say we will no longer entertain? - Why did you go from being an omnivore to a vegan? - Do you think people need to get more educated on how a diet is going to effect them personally? - Which athlete would you like to sit down with died or alive? and why? Amongst others

You can learn more about Jarnell via his website stokedsuperfoods.com and connect with him on Instagram.

For more information about The Mindset Athlete by connect with us on Facebook @mindsetgamepodcast

For more information about James Roberts (the host of the podcast), visit fitamputee.co.uk and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Neil was born with a degenerative eye condition known as Retinitis Pigmentosa.

His sight loss has played a constant factor in his life, helping him to develop his problem solving skills, adaptability and resilience. Neil became a full-time athlete in 2006, following his graduation from the University of Aberdeen. With British Athletics he achieved selection to represent ParalympicsGB at Beijing 2008 in the 100m & 200m.

A disappointing Paralympic debut led to Neil losing his funding. After a challenging period, he realised that the only way to achieve his dreams was to reinvent himself. He joined British Cycling in 2009, and made rapid progress. Later that year he became a double World Champion and double World Record holder. His ambition was realised in 2012, when on home soil he won gold at the London Paralympic Games.

This led to him receiving an MBE for services to cycling the following year. A long career followed, culminating in 26 medals won at major champions,19 of which are gold, and he's not done yet.

In the episode we spoke about: - Why was Beijing 2008 Paralympics a low for you? - Talk us through the transition from UK Athletics to British Cycling - When you were unemployed did you ever think you would be a 14 x World Champion? - Hearing yourself saying "Just Go Through The Motions" how does that sit with you now? - Can you tell us what are your 5 key areas to areas to achieving success - What's it like being inside British Cycling who are at the fore front of using sports psychology? - Have you ever been star struck? - Which was the more iconic venue to compete at? The London 2012 Velodrome (AKA "The Pringle") or The Bird's Nest at Beijing 2008? - Does the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014 come close to London 2012 Paralympics? Amongst others

You can learn more about Neil via his website earn-your-stripes.co.uk and get his Free Gift here as well as connecting with him on Instagram.

For more information about The Mindset Athlete by connect with us on Facebook @mindsetgamepodcast

For more information about James Roberts (the host of the podcast), visit fitamputee.co.uk and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Tina is a former gymnast, Division 1 competition cheerleader, exercise physiologist and nationally certified physician assistant who became an amputee in 2016. She lost her leg after 10 surgeries failed to restore blood flow to her leg from a rare vascular condition called Popliteal Artery Entrapment Syndrome. She needed two revision amputations the following year due to wound healing challenges from impaired blood flow. In 2018, just a few months from the last of 3 amputations, she made a name for herself in the adaptive community winning 2nd place at the internationally attended CrossFit Competition in Miami called "Wodapalooza," training with the US Paralympic Bobsled team in Europe, training with the US cycling program in Colorado Springs, attending the Adaptive Training Foundation in Texas and winning the CrossFit Adaptive Games in Canada. She began teaching adaptive fitness and became a disability advocate as well as a mentor for those with permanent physical impairments. In 2018, Tina founded the 501(c) charity Less Leg More Heart to further support the disabled community using her unique knowledge as a both a medical professional and a patient, identifying areas of need in this special population and executing strategic partnerships with companies of similar philanthropic core values. This nonprofit provides peer mentorship, medical advocacy, funding for holistic approaches to care and funding for home services needed during transition. They engage local communities and businesses to rally alongside families with disabilities in distress, to create stabilized socioeconomic circumstances and spread the joy of giving with the core belief that, "We rise by lifting others up." In the episode we spoke about: - What caused PAED? - Would your background in gymnastics and cheerleading have made that condition worse? - Why does cheerleading get misunderstood? - What was the transition like going from gymnastics to cheerleading to onto CrossFit? - Why did you have to go into mental preservation to come out the other side? - Do you think that because you come from an athletic background you can be more stubborn then most? If you had the opportunity to sit down with any athlete dead or alive, who would that be and why? Amongst others

You can learn more about Tina via the website lesslegmoreheart.com and connect with her on Instagram. You can connect with The Non-Profit Charity: Less Leg More Heart on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and Youtube.

For more information about The Mindset Athlete by connect with us on Facebook @mindsetgamepodcast

For more information about James Roberts (the host of the podcast), visit fitamputee.co.uk and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Sean-Kelley is a Mental Conditioning Consultant with elite experience from some of the US's top performance training venues. A graduate of UC Davis in Human Development, Sean also earned his Masters degree in Sport Psychology from JFK University. He is a Certified Consultant with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (#555) and has obtained thousands of hours working with clients from diverse backgrounds including Professionals in Baseball, Football, Basketball, Soccer, Tennis, and Golf world as well as executives from a variety of top corporations. After completing his studies, Sean gained valuable experience in the performance space at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and EXOS in Phoenix, Arizona working as a mental conditioning consultant for some of this country's top youth, amateur, and professional athletes. His approach with clients is to help them obtain Optimal Performance by navigating through what life has to offer by creating realistic plans, developing confidence through experience, and teaching them to exceed expectations. Strategies are formulated around building confidence by awareness, acceptance, motivation, concentration, focus, attention/emotional control, positive self-talk, team cohesion, visualization, and developing proper routines. Supplemental to teaching mental skills Sean incorporates modern technology such as video editing, applications, and biofeedback to help clients not only see but feel what it is like to be confident and in control. In the episode we spoke about: - Why did you want to get into sports psychology within high performance sport? - Why do athletes need to gain confidence through experience? - Have you had your clients look to sports in Europe to prepare better with uncertainties? (Recorded during lockdown) - Do you think the Ivy League has taken the right stance by cancelling all Fall and Winter Sports? - How does an athlete get themselves into their Zone of Optimal Function with lack of spectators? - Is visualisation even more key now? - Does manipulation of noise effect professional players? Amongst others

You can learn more about Sean via the website moawadconsultinggroup.com and connect with him on Twitter.

For more information about The Mindset Athlete by connect with us on Facebook @mindsetgamepodcast

For more information about James Roberts (the host of the podcast), visit fitamputee.co.uk and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Ana is a RGK Ambassador, a member of GB Wheelchair Basketball's Academy, a🏀GB U24 European Champion and 🏆3x British Champ at Under 18's, Under 15's and Division 2 with North Wales Knights.

In the episode we spoke about:

- What has lockdown been like for you as an up and coming athlete? (Recorded during lockdown)

- Do you think this moment in time wil have an effect on your progress?

- Where would you like to see your career go?

- How do you think basketball will change? (Recorded before British Wheelchair Basketball regulations came into place)

- Could you practice, if there were no games?

- What athlete would you like to sit down with died or alive? and why?

amongst others

You can connect with Ana on instagram.

For more information about The Mindset Athlete by connect with us on Facebook @mindsetgamepodcast

For more information about James Roberts (the host of the podcast), visit fitamputee.co.uk and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Lex is the best totally blind long and triple jumper in the history of the U.S. Paralympic movement. He is the current world record holder in the long jump, a four-time Paralympic medalist, a three-time long jump world champion, and an 18-time national champion. He is the only totally blind athlete to ever eclipse the 22-foot barrier in the long jump. If you think that any of this came easy, you should think again.

Many of his fellow eight-year-olds could be seen riding bicycles, shooting baskets, or frolicking on nearby playgrounds, but Lex was dealing with a far more challenging opponent. His sight began to slowly fade entirely due to recurrent retina detachments. Ten operations failed to stabilize what little sight he had left. After the final surgery, Lex's mother Verdina Gillette-Simms, had the difficult task of telling her son he would likely never see again. As painful as this was, she vowed to teach Lex everything he would need to know to be successful in life. Her hard work and love were the foundation for Lex's accomplishments.

At the age of 19, Lex won his first Paralympic silver medal in the long jump. His achievements at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece were the culmination of years of hard work and training. Since that time, Lex has solidified himself as a tenacious competitor for Team USA. Each of his athletic performances since that time have resulted in medals with the most recent being gold in the long jump at the 2017 Para Athletics World Championships.

Lex now has his sights set on the 2020 Paralympic Games, and he is currently training and competing to make his fifth consecutive U.S. Paralympic team. There is one goal, and that is to win gold for the United States of America. As an athlete, motivational speaker, and singer song writer, Lex epitomizes the phrase "No Need for Sight When You Have a Vision®".

Lastly he is also the author of Fly!: Find Your Own Wings And Soar Above Life's Challenges.

In the episode we spoke about:

- What would you say to people who haven't seen the blind long jump? and how would describe it to them?

- How much of an influence was your mother on your athletic career?

- What turned you away from goalball?

- Talk to us about 'No Need For Sight When You Have A Vision'

- Give us your take on BLM (Black Lives Matter) as a blind person

- Do you think you should use your influence as an athlete for change?

- How do you think sport can facilitate society?

- Do you ever feel your disability held you back?

- If you were to go back to your 8 year old self would you have foreseen how successful you would have became?

- Was it scary that day when everything went pitch black?

- How do you pick yourself up from something like that?

- How have you had to alter your training? (Recorded during the height of the COVID Pandemic)

- Which athlete would you like to sit down with died or alive? and why?

amongst others

You can learn more about Lex via his website lexgillette.com and connect with him on Twitter.

For more information about The Mindset Athlete by connect with us on Facebook @mindsetgamepodcast

For more information about James Roberts (the host of the podcast), visit fitamputee.co.uk and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

In 2013, Ellis was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia aged just 16. He underwent 3 and half years of daily chemotherapy and finished in 2016 aged 19. He began his return to basketball, making his professional debut for Leicester Riders under a year later and has been playing elite basketball ever since. In the episode we spoke about: - What was it like being diagnosed with cancer? - Were there dark days in those 3 1/2 years? - Did you ever think you would ever set foot on a basketball court again? - Do you think having Hoops Aid, even if it was as spectator helped? - What has it been like for you with the lockdown? (Recorded during Lockdown) - What was it like going from remission to getting back to basketball? - Why did you pick Loughborough University to study at? - Did you ever think in your wildest dreams you would play professional basketball given where you had been with cancer? - Do you think because you have faced adversity, it has set you up better to deal with pro basketball? - 'My approach was very different to the norm of dealing with my illness' * Elliot Cockrell's reference about tangibles to exercise and performance in episode 209 - What is your take on bullying in sport? (Recorded when British Gymnastics was in the press about bullying) * I spoke to Olympic Rower, Matt Langridge off air on his episode about it. - Sean Quinn, Director of Mental Conditioning and Operations at Moawad Consulting Group: Allen Iverson viral comment about "We talking about practice" - Which athlete would you like to sit down with died or alive? and why? amongst others

You can connect with Ellis on instagram.

For more information about The Mindset Athlete by connect with us on Facebook @mindsetgamepodcast

For more information about James Roberts (the host of the podcast), visit fitamputee.co.uk and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram