James Stephenson is a pioneer in holistic athlete development, where elite performance and human wellbeing are inseparable. A two-sport international athlete for Great Britain, Olympic coach, and ordained Anglican minister, James brings a rare blend of high-performance experience, spiritual depth, and social impact to his work in sport.

For nearly a decade, James has lived with his family on the Zambian/DRC border, using sport as a vehicle for community empowerment, identity, and healing. His mission goes beyond medals—he’s focused on the deeper purpose of sport: to elevate lives, foster connection, and unlock human potential.

James believes coaching is less about imposing frameworks and more about holding space—helping athletes explore who they are, what they value, and how sport can serve their growth beyond performance. He champions emotional intelligence, positive language, and values-based development as the new frontier of excellence in sport.

This week, James shares his journey from elite competition to global impact, the power of asking better questions, and why true success means aligning with your soul. If you’ve ever felt the tension between chasing results and living fully—this conversation is your permission to reimagine what’s possible.

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As you know this podcast is where we challenge the status quo and explore what’s possible in the world of high-performance sport.

Today, I want to dive into a concept that’s set to redefine the very foundation of competition, human development, and the role of sport in our society: The Gaia Games.

If you’ve ever felt that the current sports system is broken—driven by short-term success, burnout, and transactional relationships—you’re not alone. But what if we could reimagine sport as a regenerative, holistic, and deeply human experience? That’s what the Gaia Games are all about.

Sport has the power to shape culture, inspire action, and elevate human consciousness—yet the current system is broken. Elite sport is often driven by medals, money, and ego, leaving behind the deeper purpose of play, connection, and transformation.

The Gaia Games is reimagining sport—not just as competition, but as a regenerative force for people and the planet. Rooted in sustainability, indigenous wisdom, and collective consciousness, this movement blends high-performance excellence with grassroots inclusivity, creating a new global model for sport.

And this is why I’m so excited to share this conversation. The Gaia Games is more than an event—it’s a vision for the future of sport. 

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Maximilian Lankheit is a game-changer in football leadership and high-performance strategy. From advising top football clubs to leading high-performance teams, Max has spent his career aligning ambitious visions with real-world execution—ensuring success both on and off the pitch.

Max believes leadership is a contact sport—one that requires trust, process, and the ability to adapt. His passion lies in building strong identities, developing people-centered cultures, and creating sustainable, long-term success. In this conversation, we go beyond results and league tables to explore what truly drives performance in sport.

And this is why I’m excited to share this conversation. Max offers powerful insights into leadership, human performance, and redefining success in football. If you're looking to deepen your understanding of what it means to lead in high-performance environments, this one’s for you.

Talking Points:

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Abi Okell brings a wealth of experience from her work with GB Snowsport, British Gymnastics, and GB Taekwondo. From the NHS to the world stage at the Paralympic and Olympic Games, Abi has dedicated her career to empowering athletes through tailored rehabilitation and health initiatives.

Abi’s passion lies in creating safe spaces to address the unique challenges female athletes face—breaking taboos, fostering open conversations, and ensuring that support staff are as respected as coaches in the high-performance world. With expertise in musculoskeletal injuries, female health, and athlete well-being, Abi brings an inspiring perspective on what it means to truly support performance at every level.

And this is why I'm excited to bring you this episode. Abi shares her journey, insights, and the lessons she’s learned about balancing professionalism, advocacy, and personal growth in the demanding world of elite sport.

Talking Points:

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David Faulkner MBE is a trailblazer in culture, people, and team development across business, education, and elite sport. With an Olympic, World, and Commonwealth Team Leader background, David has worked with some of the most accomplished athletes and organizations, cultivating environments where people thrive under pressure and excel together.

Awarded an MBE in 2021 for his services to sport, David’s career is rooted in fostering people-centric cultures and performance-driven conditions. His relationship-focused approach, strategic thinking, and ability to lead with positivity and humor have made him a sought-after leader, mentor, and public speaker.

David believes that high performance stems from unlocking the potential within people and creating spaces where self-awareness, adaptability, and a strong sense of purpose drive extraordinary results. Through his work in the UK, Europe, and the USA, David has helped teams and leaders navigate complex challenges with confidence and resilience.

And this is why I’m thrilled to bring you this conversation. David offers transformative insights on leadership, communication, and culture, redefining what it means to achieve success in sport and beyond.

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Denise Holland is a leader in the spiritual nature of human psychology behind sports performance—the most undiscovered competitive advantage!

With over 35 years of experience, Denise has coached at the highest levels, from World Championships to England’s Super-league, and even led the Scottish Thistles to the Commonwealth Games. Her unique approach helps athletes and coaches PlayFreely™—unlocking focus, awareness, and optimal performance when it matters most.

Denise’s journey was transformed by an epiphany into the spiritual nature of existence and human consciousness, which reshaped how she supports sportspeople to achieve their full potential. By demystifying the human mind and focusing on the formless intelligence behind life, Denise empowers individuals to access their true capabilities when it matters most.

As a coach and thought leader, Denise inspires athletes, coaches, and teams to explore what’s possible—helping them understand that identity is never on the line and that curiosity about who we are can be a gateway to optimal performance.

And this is why I’m excited to bring you this conversation. Denise offers a revolutionary perspective on sports performance, redefining how we understand pressure, resilience, and team cohesion.

If you enjoy this episode please leave a review on iTunes or Spotify platforms, and by doing this you will actively help spread this content to the practitioners that need it.

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 Clarity by Jamie Smart

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J.P. is a leadership coach, partners with leaders to support their learning, growth, and impact on the world. He believes that great teams drive results and that effective leaders are intentional in creating strong team cultures.

J.P began his career as a professional basketball coach and educator, leading athletes and students, establishing high standards, and fostering an inclusive culture. This experience immersed him in a world reliant on team culture and intentional leadership. After hiring a coach to improve his own leadership, he pivoted his career to help others transform themselves and their teams.

As a coach, J.P. helps his clients find balance, gain clarity in their leadership, grow in self-awareness, develop personal practices to enhance performance and leadership skills, cultivate team relationships, develop people, and raise standards.

J.P. offers unique expertise in leadership development and team culture, leveraging his background in sports to help clients create connected, collaborative, and high-performing teams.

And this is why I’m excited to bring you this conversation, J.P. has a great perspective on what leadership and culture is and how to truly come together.

Team culture leads to personal growth

Showing up as a coach

Seeing blind spots as a coach

Taking personal responsibility to do the work

Defensive and closed to open and curious

The importance of meditation

Pleasure/escape vs action = numbing

Addiction high functioning

Training the ability to be mindful in the body

Thinking and feeling in the body

Recognising where you're at

Mindful in action to come off autopilot

Creating Culture is like cultivating a garden

Biggest obstacle is the nuances

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James Clear - Atomic Habits

Tao de chin

Stoicism

Books

Podcast

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Sarah is the current sport psychologist for the Republic of Ireland women’s national team, coach mentor and a high-performance coach with Mindflick.

She has over a decade of experience working in professional sport, education and business. Her work has included individual athletes and teams including the Premier league, ECB, various professional golfers and Sport Coach UK.

Sarah has a passion for working with people, hence she can be found with elite and non elite teams, athletes, coaches and across sport, education and business to enhance human performance and develop understanding of what a healthy high performance cultures look and feel like.

Sarah takes a human-centred approach that provides personal programmes of support enabling the performers to reach their potential and sustain positive performance changes. Firmly believing that we are humans first and athletes, coaches, and leaders second.

And this is why I’m excited to bring this conversation to you. Sarah gets beneath the surface of those she works with, and the power of doing this allows people to see who they are beyond their superficial job title, identiity and cv.

Dysfunctional and tangled professional relationships

The entry point to inner work

Being comfortable to pay the cost

What would Sarah do differently

Performance environment, culture, people, strategy

Parenthood - lens around

When everything falls apart

Doing the work properly means doing the work on myself

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Practitioner Project 20/20

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Ryan is currently the Sports Science and Sports Medicine Lead at Aquatics GB. Ryan has also worked at many presitgious organisations including Kitmanlabs: the FA; UK Sports Institute, UKSCA, Scottish Institute of Sport and he has also been a Sports Science Lecturer.

As well as his full time role at Aquatics GB, Ryan is also engaged in his PhD specializing in Multidisciplinary Team Problem Solving.

And this is why I’m excited to bring you this conversation with Ryan. He is breaking down the true facets of what makes teams of people come together to make a real impact in the areas they focus on - well away from the limitations of relying solely on technical dogma.

The problem of being trained as a practitioner to stay within “lane”

 Achieving and outcomes of success

 Failure is a catalyst for change - yet we’re all scared of it

 Stepping out of competency beyond it to make transitions

Management vs leadership - taking people on a journey to MDT solutions

 Clinical governance vs personal perspective

 Changing thinking from depth of knowledge into transfer of knowledge

 Importance of metacognitive skills

 The importance of transcending transactions about your own gain and power

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The Creative Act

Stealing Fire

Recapture the Rapture

Despite Rusty being best known for his career as a professional rugby player with Bath & England Sevens and as a high performance coach, he also brings a wealth of global experience to the table.

Rusty works extensively with top-tier organisations including England Rugby, Google, the NHS, and Premier League teams. His engaging storytelling, combined with deep insights into leadership, resilience, creativity, and team dynamics, ensure that creates impact when, & where, it matters.

And this is why I’m excited to bring you this conversation with Rusty. He is paving the way for people in organisations to do things differently. I invite you to devote the next hour or so to truly listening to what he has to say, and notice how it makes you feel.

Why the best leaders are not at the top

Stand up, practice, and spaces to make ridiculous suggestions

Data versus emotion

The over-seriousness of sport

The importance of making work fun

Storytelling is what starts movements

Being super intentional

Why everything Starts With Self

If you enjoy this episode please leave a review on iTunes or Spotify platforms, and by doing this you will actively help spread this content to the practitioners that need it.

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Practitioner Project 20/20