Dan is a strength & conditioning coach with over a decade of experience working with athletes who have achieved success at a professional and international level. In 2019, after years of consulting in the sport of gymnastics, 'Dan Lonsdale Gymnastics Strength & Conditioning' was launched.

Dan now supports over a dozen clubs across the UK and Europe as well as providing coach education on various topics related to gymnastics strength & conditioning, and has spoken at various highly attended education events within the sport.

In this episode, we discuss going from a driven intern to burnout and what he has done to align himself and his career to now work for him rather than against him.

Practitioner Project 20/20

Adam is a former Scotland international rugby union player and rugby union coach.

He is also Co-Founder of the U.K.s leading natural wellness brand Pure Sport. His latest business development is Zappaty, which helps individuals and businesses send files of all shapes and sizes around the world.

In this episode, you will hear how Adam uses his inner compass, and how this has allowed him to transition through chapters of his life, rather than hold on to identities for too long.

What has allowed him to do this skillfully is his journey into himself and getting to know who he is beyond the egoic stories as an athlete and coach - similar to what we all tell ourselves.

Practitioner Project 20/20

The 3 Principles: https://threeprinciplesfoundation.org/

Introduction to Non-Duality by Rupert Spira: https://rupertspira.com/non-duality

Rob has over eight years of experience in elite sports in the UK, Europe and the Pacific, where he currently leads a project for the International Olympic Committee to support the country of Vanuatu to win their first Olympic Medal at an Olympic games.

Rob Francis has also founded Move Mojo. His mission with Move Mojo is to get as many people to take part in safe and fun strength and conditioning as possible. The positive effects of physical activity are incredible, and he believes nobody should miss out due to any disability.

And this is why Rob’s voice is an important one to have on the Untapped Potential podcast. He has purposely stepped away from a full-time role in performance sport and transferred his skills to a purpose-focused business.

The challenges of his non-linear path in sport

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

Practitioner Project 20/20

Mark is the CEO of UK Coaching and Chair of Boccia England.

He is a familiar face within the sport and physical activity sector. He started his career as a PE teacher and later went onto roles at Youth Sport Trust and then British Gymnastics.

During his time at UK Coaching, Mark has steered the organisation through significant change and just as coaches are there for their participants, so UK Coaching is there for the coach.

Mark feels that it is about time that coaches were perceived as people too.

UK Coaching is an association that connects and supports approximately 180,000 coaches from grassroots to elite level through its UK Coaching Club.

It’s tagline: 

“The team behind the nation’s coaches, providing support, tools and guidance which assists coaches to be GREAT, inspires people and transforms lives.”

And this is why Mark is an obvious choice to have on the Untapped Potential Podcast.

Some quotes from Mark:

The journey of supporting the coach

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

Practitioner Project 20/20

Chris has been involved in the sports industry for almost 15 years, including roles as a sports analyst at Sheffield United and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Chris then pivoted in his career and started his own business, In-Play Sports. In-Play Sports is a company whose mission is to ensure analysts and coaches always have access to professional-level video analysis tools so they can break down performance with ease and deliver feedback efficiently.

In this episode, we cover Chris’s personal experience of some of the challenges he has faced as a practitioner, and how he overcame them. 

As well as diving deep into how he now helps practitioners across a variety of topics allowing them to thrive in their career. Particularly around pivoting, letting go of identity and carving out a path that supports a rounded life.

If you’ve ever thought about pivoting, changing careers or working for yourself, you will get a lot from this conversation.

Chris's challenges as a performance analyst

The practitioner's rites of passage

The loneliness of relocating for a job

Masters degrees vs experience

 Why Chris pivoted in his career

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

Cody Royle coaches head coaches in elite sports. After a decade coaching Canada's men's AFL national team, he now mentors fourteen coaches in seven different team sports around the world. Cody is the author of three influential leadership books; Second Set Of Eyes, Where Others Won't and The Tough Stuff.

His coaching focuses on the performance and well-being of coaches so that they have access to their best coaching skills when they need them the most.

Some of Cody's quotes:

This is why I’m so excited to have Cody on, as he is leading the way in this space. So get ready to give your full attention as you won’t want to miss a moment.

Cody's challenges as a head coach

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

Practitioner Project 20/20

Nicolai is a highly regarded strength and conditioning coach, from Australia and has over a decade of coaching experience in elite sport. She has previously worked with NSW WRL state of origin, New Zealand black sticks and physical performance manager for the Australian Hockeyroos to name a few and now she is head of performance for AFLW.

Nicolai has also done powerful work on female leadership and systemic gender bias. She is the co-founder of Women in Sport whose mission is to invest in, support, empower and connect women in sport for a stronger community.

And this is why I wanted to have Nicolai on, because I want to dive into the challenges female coaches and practitioners currently experience, and what we can do to change that.

In this episode, we take a very personal journey through Nicolai's experiences as a person, her struggles, the very human stand-out moments of why she works in sport and the qualities of her North Star performance environment.

Challenges of the incessant drive to become better

Developing people through performance

Getting to know the person is the glue to performance

The struggle of perfectionism

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

Practitioner Project 20/20

Culture Code by Daniel Coyle

Black Box Thinking by William Syed

(EP008) Intention, Trust and Ownership in the Chapters of a Career in Sport with Ben Young

Welcome to this week's episode of the untapped potential podcast with me Richard Husseiny, and it’s slightly different to what you’re used to.

We are 12 episodes in, so it seems a great time to pause and reflect on what has already come in this podcast.

The aim of today's episode is the following:

I also wanted to let you know I am taking a break over Easter, the podcast will return on 7th May 2024 with more amazing conversations.

These conversations are lifting the lid on what's going on, the issues that limit the impact we seek and some powerful reflections to empower and awaken a new way forward in how practitioners can successfully operate within sport.

Ian’s vision as CEO of the British Athletes Commission led to the sector strengthening the support offered to vulnerable adults in sport. He also played a key role in the DCMS review of duty of care in sport assisting Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson. These became the platform for Ian to deliver sustainable positive change in sport, and mental health provision and for the next generation of sport leaders to apply his values, skills, and experience.

Ian has brought together his significant experience in sport and his passion for helping others under the umbrella of DOCIAsport the company he founded in 2017. He brings a refreshing and independent view to all aspects of duty of care in sport from the perspective of coaches, officials, athletes, administrators, and the sector itself.

Ian delivers change through consultation and collaboration, leading and embodying his values of helping others, equality, inclusion, fairness and honesty.

In this episode, Ian shares some of the highs and lows of his career including some personal challenges, but what is clear is the impact he has had on the sporting system and many individuals by bringing attention to some hugely important issues.

And this is why I’m excited to have this conversation with Ian. He has a view that I don’t know or understand with regard to the funding and system perspective.

The jigsaw of performance sport

Developing your personal board

Turning the performance system into a society

Why independent support is key

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

Practitioner Project 20/20

Pete has been a performance director and strength and conditioning coach in elite sport and human performance for over 20 years. This has seen him be involved in coaching athletes for 4 Summer and one Winter Olympic Games. He is currently the performance director at Hintsa Performance.

Pete has also held a variety of leadership or board positions in business, church and charities. Currently Advisory Board Chairman at US start-up Rewire Fitness Inc., and Advisory Board at UK start-up Hytro.

In this episode, Pete shares his insights on what has allowed him to maintain a career at the highest level whilst maintaining a thriving family and personal life.

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

Practitioner Project 20/20