Define Your Success

A captivating conversation with Team Fiji Olympic athlete Danielle Alakija, as she shares her remarkable journey from childhood running superstar to becoming an Olympian at just 16 years old. Beyond the track, we delve into Danni’s passion for climate advocacy, particularly her efforts to amplify the voices of the Global South in discussions around climate change solutions. She's reimagining the UN Sustainable Development Goals to ensure inclusivity and fair representation, addressing historical inequalities and uplifting marginalised communities through her passion project - SOLI. 

And here’s our call to action for athletes and listeners passionate about climate advocacy - you can get involved with her latest project - SOLI - by sharing letters and information about personal experiences of climate change. 

Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson is a Canadian Olympian and a Performance Lifestyle Advisor with the UK Institute of Sport, working with British Athletics and British Shooting World Class Performance Program athletes. 

The second key conversation of the 2024 season with Define Your Success is between host Abigail Irozuru and Erika, a member of the elite high performance team. 

Key Discussion Points:

1. Athlete and Sport Engagement with Performance Lifestyle Teams: Delving into the significance of athlete engagement with Performance Lifestyle Teams, Erika sheds light on how these teams play a crucial role in supporting athletes throughout their careers.

2. Transition and Mental Health Support: Drawing from her own experiences transitioning from elite sport, Erika compares the support systems in the UK and Canada, highlighting the need for robust mental health resources tailored to athletes' diverse needs.

3. Six Pillars of High Performance: Erika outlines the six pillars integral to developing a well-rounded, high-performance athlete, emphasizing the importance of addressing various facets of athletes' lives beyond their athletic endeavours.

4. Transitions Beyond Retirement: The conversation expands to encompass transitions beyond retirement, demonstrating that transitions are not limited to exiting the sport but encompass various life changes.

5. Personal Journey with Mental Health Advocacy: Erika shares her personal journey with mental health challenges, which spurred her advocacy efforts and led her to pursue a Psychology degree, ultimately shaping her current work at the UK Institute of Sport.

6. Self-Directed Development Strategies: Offering valuable insights, Erika discusses self-directed personal development and transition support strategies for athletes who may not have direct access to elite programs, catering to both developing athletes and those at higher levels.

7. Coaching and Mentoring Models: Exploring coaching and mentoring models, the discussion underscores the importance of athlete buy-in when collaborating with Performance Lifestyle practitioners.

Useful Resources Discussed:

Second of the two-part conversation hosted by Olympian, Abigail Irozuru with Team England Commonwealth Games' rhythmic gymnast, coach and business-owner Mimi-Isabella Cesar.

Key takeaways from the conversation include:

1. Aesthetic sports like gymnastics involve subjective judging based on the athletes' appearance and execution.

2. Collaboration with experts in various fields is crucial for athletes' holistic development.

3. MIC Gymnastics offers tailored training programs and a supportive community for athletes of all ages and levels.

4. Mimi's multifaceted career includes coaching, commentating, and aspirations in media, property, and investment.

5. Embracing challenges and using personal experiences to drive positive change is essential for growth and success.

Connect with Abigail and the podcast:

The first episode after a year-long hiatus (sorry - I went AWOL!)

Conversation with 2 x Team England Commonwealth Games representative in rhythmic gymnastics, Mimi-Isabella Cesar. 

In this first part, we speak about the highs and lows of Mimi’s competitive career and lead into her journey into entrepreneurship, inspired by righting the wrongs she experienced to be a better coach and leader to the next generation of rhythmic gymnasts. 

Some topics explored:

• Suffering emotional abuse about her body weight and shape, and subsequently her age

• The best feeling of rhythmic gymnastics - the silent moment

• Top highlights in the sport

• I’ve never felt enough

• Holding sports leadership to account - coaches, judges, key decision makers

• Recognising abuses of power and what that may look like in those you love - parents and guardians 

• The hope with a new coach - Australian coach and sports psych - helping her gain confidence and rewrite the decade-long narrative 

At the end of the episode, we lead into what the second part will feature - introduce MIC and entrepreneurship, her growth and how MIC started during COVID, her global reach and extensive support network for gymnasts of all age ranges on MIC, her media and broadcasting work, and her vision for the future.

In this episode with Olympic history-maker and 2x Olympian, Montell Douglas, we discuss:

• Her Olympic experiences - Summer and Winter Olympic Games
• Being one of only TWO people in the WORLD to attend both the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic games
• Being a history-maker in her family - first university graduate
• Her ‘whirlwind’ first Olympic experience
• 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games and the major surgery that is career-ending for many and her ridiculously rapid recovery to reach the Games as a reserve
• Her faith in God that allowed her to persevere another 4 years to Beijing 2022
• The warrior mentality that is within us all
• Being an ‘over-achiever’
• The power of a resolution at any time of the year - just do.

This is the final part of a two-part conversation with Montell Douglas.

Subscribe so you can be notified of future episodes. I’m excited to share more powerful conversations with you each week!

In this episode with Olympic history-maker (listen to find out why) and 2x Olympian, Montell Douglas, we discuss:

• Her definition of success (one of the most intriguing responses yet)
• Her sporting origin story
• Her multi-faceted career in schools’ mentoring, professional services, athletics’ coaching, charitable work and her own great sporting achievements!
• Olympic cycles vs ‘Real world’ seemingly unstructured timelines and the transition from one to the other
• One of the worst questions to ask an Olympian post-Games… and our suggestions of what a better question may be.
• Becoming a Summer and Winter Olympian & The Olympic Experience (teaser)

This is the first part of a two-part conversation with Montell Douglas.

Subscribe so you can be notified immediately when the next episode drops! You won’t want to miss it!

A conversation where host, Abigail guested on Sporting for His Glory ( a podcast hosted by previous DYS podcast guest, Karé Adenigan)

Connecting at the Commonwealth Games and through the Womens’ Sports Trust Unlocked Programme

In this episode, hear various short clips of how Britain's best athletes and coaches define success. 

Long form definitions of success and the more challenging narrowing it down to three words. 

How do you define success? 

Before listening to their responses, why not define success for yourself first and share it with our listeners! 

In this episode of #DYSPodcast, hear the wisdom and joy Tiffany Porter (ex-Team GB 100m Hurdler) shares around

• athletics,
• retirement from sport,
• motherhood, including training and competing whilst breastfeeding and (all in 2021, post-baby) winning European Indoor Bronze, becoming British Champion and representing Team GB at the Tokyo Olympic Games - all whilst being a mother to her Rainbow Baby, Chidera.

Listen to this conversation around Tiff’s illustrious athletics career; retirement from sports; and family including being a Rainbow Mom.

Social Media

Vertigo - what is is (symptoms) and its causes

Storytime - how it happened

“Health issues seem to be quite common in athletes and not as understanding as injuries, it seems.” - a quote from a friend that prompted me sharing this episode

Baseline - balance and proprioception work whilst brushing your teeth

Baseline for your holistic health

In this second part of the conversation with USA Track and Field Paralympian, Lacey J Henderson, we discuss:

• the instability of the contracting life, self-employed status that we all take on as athletes;
• the unfairness of the broad range of disability categories for Paralympians and what Lacey is doing to challenge and change that for the better.
• Lacey’s Sports Psychology Masters’ degree: how we might manage and overcome stress responses after trauma, particularly sexual assault in sport.

Content Advisory: There is some swearing in this episode + mention of sexual assault.

Connect with Lacey:

Originally published 15th November 2022.

British Athletics' Strength & Conditioning Coach  

A conversation with S&C Coach, Rob Miller Rob is co-owner of Informed Performance, alongside Michael Johnston (MJ). 

https://www.informedperformance.co.uk/ 

Both work at British Athletics as part of the Strength & Conditioning Performance Team. https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/ 

Discussion Points - 

• The opening / warm up convo - COVID Lockdown Training Diaries (gym kitted out by Blk Box Fitness - https://www.blkboxfitness.com/ ), which is a reminder of the importance of accountability to produce positive results, and also the convenience benefits of ‘100 rep sessions’ - not for high performance, though!
• ‘The deep stuff’ - from approx the 10 minute mark onwards Coaching Philosophy, highlighting the importance of trust and buy-in in any coaching relationship, not just the theoretical and technical knowledge of the coach
• S&C Philosophy, including how Rob structures a training program, his perception of ‘technical excellence’ and his tips for anyone looking to improve their Olympic lifts, specifically cleans and snatch
• World-class lifting numbers in the track & field world (how does your PB match up against Britain’s best athletes in the power clean?) 
• Hobbies (jiu jitsu, cooking and music - singing and guitar) 
• PhD on Muscle Morphology for Elite Sport Running, which was funded by British Athletics and, in year one, by EIS (the English Institute of Sport) https://eis2win.co.uk/ 
• Definition of Resilience and Success. 

Social Media Handles 

Kare Adenegan has so many medals to her name, I don’t even know where to begin- She has won medals at every major championships: British, European, Commonwealth, World and Paralympic Games - and she achieved these great feats alongside her studies, most recently having graduated from the University of Warwick. Congratulations!

As we warm up into this conversation, things get a little deep.

Equality in diversity -  specifically between non-disability and disability sport as we saw exemplified at the CWG - that oneness and cohesion of the team; the superhuman Paralympic trope and her perspective on that vs the real daily struggle of a disabled person, athlete or not; her faith; and her tips for future Paralympians in any sport, not just on the track. I also ask, how do we get more coaches involved with para sport to increase access to sport for disabled people.

Finally, as a Black-British female wheelchair athlete, she may have experienced racism; but she says ableism features more profoundly in her life as a form of discrimination than anything else.

So… What is ableism? And how can we ensure we aren’t complicit, passive bystanders or even instigators to this form of discrimination?

Please listen up and let me know your thoughts on this enlightening and informative conversation.

Kicking off season 2 of Define Your Success with my friend and teammate, 100m hurdles Commonwealth Bronze Medalist and New British Record Holder, Cindy Sember (nee Ofili). 

We discuss: 

- the surprises of the 2022 season - the highs of medals and national records; the lows of disappointment and distress at the European Championships. 

9 x British Champion in Triple Jump. And only 23-years old. But that's not all... 

This conversation with Naomi covers her creative side, delving deep into NFTs - relevant for you whether you're a newbie and have never heard of the term or you're a pro; it's all inspiring and educational. 

We also cover her other creative exploits, including Three-Point Start (which she was supported and advised in the development of by her mentor at the Women's Sport Trust, Unlocked Program) and her recent partnership collaboration with House of Marley. 

Naomi is all about taking ownership of her future and the conversation; shining a spotlight on who she is beyond sport and what she and other athletes and marginalised groups (specifically black women in tech and arts) can achieve in every area of their lives. 

After a 2-month hiatus, The Athlete Experience series is back with the BTS (behind the scenes) of your host, Abigail Irozuru’s athlete experience.

Here are 10 things you didn’t know about me…some are obvious; some not so obvious!

Contact me:

Lockdown conversations with Paralympic athlete, Richard Whitehead MBE. 

Interview with Team USA ex-decathlete and Duke University coach Curtis Beach.

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Abigail Irozuru interviews Team GB Olympians in track & field athletics to find out their perspective, lessons learned, highlights and lowlights of the Tokyo Olympic Games.