Win Win

Being a personal performance coach to F1 driver Alex Albon is one of the more unique jobs in sport; positions like this are rare like the drivers themselves. Irishman Patrick Harding started his career as a chartered physiotherapist and has honed his skillset over the years so that it is now laser focussed on maximizing the physical and psychological performance of individual athletes. What does it take to succeed at the cutting edge in one of the worlds most cut-throat sports? Listen to Patrick's amazing personal insight into the world of Formula 1 and elite performance in the the latest episode of Win Win, available now!!

On Niamh Briggs' LinkedIn page, she modestly describes herself as a "retired rugby player, turned coach". In reality, Niamh is one of Ireland's most decorated players and her rugby prowess is indisputable. In the relatively short time since the end of her international career, Niamh has found a new passion in coaching. From her club (UL Bohs), to province (Munster) and most recently a return to the international game, her coaching career is on a stellar trajectory. Listen to Niamh's take on this transition, what excites her about the future of women's rugby in Ireland and much more in the latest episode of Win Win, available now!

This is a special episode. Win Win started during lockdown as a way to provide additional content to my students while working remotely. So far pisodes are recorded online but now with restrictions lifted, I was able to use the radio studio in WIT to record in-person with not one, but 3 student guests to discuss their placement experience! Sarah (Health & Exercise) worked with community-based chronic illness rehabilitation service ExWell. Shane (Nutrtition & Exercise) worked with Nutritics, a market leader in online nutritional analysis and Andrew (Sport & Exercise) travelled to the University of Tenessee to provide S&C support to their athletes

4th year Nutrition & Exercise student Ethan O'Halloran recently completed his placement working behind the scenes on RTE's Operation Transformation. Under the supervision of the show's dietician Aoife Hearne, Ethan's main job was planning the meals for each of the leaders across the 8 weeks of the show. Ethan also planned and assisted in the direction of food photo shoots, where digital content was created for the viewers to follow. Listen to Ethan's unique experience and hear how he grew in confidence as his placement progressed in the latest episode of Win Win, available now!

Jamie Blanchfield is a busy man! Immediately after graduating from WIT, Jamie took the bold step of setting up his own company, PremierEndurance.ie where he currently works as head coach. Alongside this, Jamie also works with Cycling Ireland as a Development Coach and has recently returned to WIT to start a research Masters exploring the topic of remote coaching. We discuss Jamie's holistic approach to coaching, his habit of self reflection and the ups and downs of starting your own business early in your career in the latest episode of Win Win, available now!

An integral component of our common entry Exercise Science degree (CAO WD006) is the fact that our final year students spend a whole semester on placement gaining valuable experience just before they graduate. In this episode I welcome Nutrition & Exercise Science student Tyrone Kirwan to the podcast to chat about his recent placement with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, where he was part of the huge operation that goes into supporting one of the "Big 10" NCAA Div 1 College Football teams. Listen to Tyrone's amazing experience in the latest episode of Win Win, available now!

Irish distance runner Aoibhe Richardson is a professional athlete with the Atalanta Team, based in NYC. Having recently completed her master's in Public Health while competing as an NCAA athlete in the US, Atalanta was the ideal next step for Aoibhe. Uniquely, this non-profit team supports full-time female athletes who also provide mentorship to young girls in disadvantaged communities, neatly dovetailing her academic and athletic careers. Listen to Aoibhe's journey from Kilkenny to Portland to San Francisco and on to NYC in the latest episode of Win Win, available now!

In this episode I catch up with Ciara Sinnott-O'Connor, Head of Performance Physiology @sportirelandinstiute. During our really interesting and informative chat Ciara gets me up to speed on all things Tokyo. What challenges faced Irish athletes heading to compete at Tokyo 2020? What plans were put in place to offset the impact of travel fatigue and jet lag? How is ongoing Irish research shaping the preparations of our athletes? What is the life of a performance physiologist really like? We answer these questions and more in the latest episode of Win Win, available now

Today I catch up with Ana Maia, Classification Manager with @paralympicsireland. Classification is an essential, yet complex component of Para Sport and in this episode Ana does an amazing job of explaining what classification is, why it is necessary and how the system works. Why do we have multiple Paralympic Champions in the same event? Who is eligible to compete? How are sport classifications awarded? Can an athlete's classification change? We answer these questions and more in the latest episode of Win Win, available now!

In this episode I catch up with Dave Malone, Performance Director with @paralympicsireland. Dave has unrivalled experience in high performance sport. Having first competed in Atlanta '96, Tokyo 2020 was his 7th consecutive Paralympic Games. From winning gold to coaching athletes to gold, Dave has done it all. What is it like being an athlete at a major competition versus being a coach? What happens as one major competition ends and the preparations for the next one begins? How should you approach work with a Para Sport athlete? We answer these questions and more in the latest episode of Win Win, available now!

To kick off season 2 I am delighted to chat with Eoin Rheinsich, Head of Performance Life Skills at the Sport Ireland Institute. Most of us probably think that the life of an athlete is eat, sleep, train, repeat... however there is so much more to it than that. In this episode, Eoin and I discuss how we need to take a more holistic view of our athletes in order to help them maximize their potential. Can we help identify transitions in their life - for example from school to college or from training to competing on the world stage - and create strategies to help our athletes cope? What were the specific challenges faced with Covid-19 and competing at Tokyo 2020? How did Eoin make his own transition from Olympian to service provider? Are there opportunities for you in this area? We answer these questions and more in the latest episode of Win Win, available now!

Season 2 of WinWin - coming very soon!

In this episode I chat with Deirdre Lyons, Player Development Manager with Rugby Players Ireland. In this role Deirdre aims to help rugby players maximise their time so they can fulfil their potential both on and off the field of play. From early engagement to help academy players negotiate school and college life, the player development manager strives to develop a positive working relationship with the athlete, so they are well placed to help them achieve balance in their life. How does the player develop their own personal brand and capitalise on the opportunities that may be presented to them? What can a player do to ensure a smooth transition out of the game at the end of their career? What can the program offer athletes who struggle to cope with the intense scrutiny and online trolling that they may experience? Is there a rising tide for female professional rugby players? How can you pursue a career like this? We answer these questions and more in the latest episode of Win Win, available now!

In this episode I catch up with Tom Barry, Chief Operations Officer at Westside Barbell in Columbus Ohio. After graduating from WIT, Tom headed off full off innocence and enthusiasm to start an internship at the infamous Westside Barbell under the tuition of its equally notorious owner, Louis Simmons. 10 years on and Tom has forged out a very successful career for himself in the world of strength & conditioning and he is now considered Louis’s right hand man. What was it like walking into Westside all those years ago? How did he turn an internship into a career? How can it pay to be the dumbest person in the room? What are the soft skills you need to succeed in the hard world of Westside? We answer these questions and more in the latest episode of Win Win, available now!

In the fourth and final bonus episode focusing on the fitness industry I catch up with WIT graduate and personal trainer, Maria Chester. Maria completed her degree in Exercise Health in 2019 and is currently studying for her MSc in Clinical Nutrition via the University of Edinburgh. After gaining her REPs qualifications in WIT, Maria began working as a fitness instructor, transitioned to become a personal trainer and now runs her own successful business. In this open and honest discussion, Maria tells us about her journey including the benefits of all the mistakes she made along the way, her experience with disordered eating, how she communicates with her clients and helps them avoid the pitfalls and mistakes that she made. If you enjoy this episode, please give it a share online and make sure to subscribe for more!

In the third of a series of four bonus episodes focusing on the fitness industry I catch up with Tony Sullivan and Jay Walsh, personal trainers working here in Waterford. Tony and Jay are both graduates of WIT, having completed the BSc in Sports Coaching & Performance, followed by the MA in Sport and Exercise Psychology and now they each run their own successful PT business. In this engaging conversation, we discuss how they work with their clients, the benefits of applying what they were taught in real time, continuing to learn and consuming books via audible along with plenty of other practical tips for anyone looking to get started in the health and fitness industry. If you enjoy this episode, please give it a share online and make sure to subscribe for more!

In this episode I catch up with Ciara Losty, lecturer in applied sport and exercise psychology here in the Waterford Institute of Technology and accredited sport psychologist with the Sport Ireland Institute. On top of her lecturing, Ciara currently works with a range of Olympic athletes in preparation for Tokyo 2021, various GAA teams and provides support to all jockeys licensed with Horse Racing Ireland. What is the role of the sports psychologist and how do they typically help athletes? Are athletes the only ones who can benefit from the input of a sports psychologist? How can the behavior of the coach impact on an athlete's performance? How do you end up in a job like Ciara’s? We chat about these questions and more in the latest episode of Win Win, available now!

@ciaralosty (twitter)

@b_wardrop (instgram)

In this episode I am catching up with Alan Swanton who is the Lead Sports Performance Analyst at Sport Ireland Institute. I consider Alan to be a bit of a pioneer when it comes to performance analysis - he was working in that field back before I even knew it was a thing! Over 4 Olympic & Paralympic cycles, Alan has worked with some of Ireland's top athletes and coaches, developing systems to monitor and evaluate performance and optimize training. How has his career evolved? What does he look for in potential placement students? Just how good is Microsoft Excel? We chat about these questions and more in the latest episode of Win Win, available now!

In this episode I catch up with Sharon Madigan who has been the Head of Performance Nutrition at the Sport Ireland Institute since 2010. In this time Sharon has worked with some of Ireland top Olympic athletes as they prepare for some of the biggest competitions of their careers. In an informative and direct chat, Sharon shares her extensive insight into the world of performance nutrition for Ireland’s elite athletes. What is day to day life like for staff and athletes in the Sport Ireland Institute? What is the performance kitchen and how does it function as the heart of the Institute? What is Sharon’s health first approach to performance nutrition? How do you end up in a job like Sharon’s? We chat about these questions and more in the latest episode of Win Win, available now!

@madigan_sharon (twitter) & @sharon_madigan (instagram)

@b_wardrop (instagram)

In this episode I catch up with Shane Lehane, Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby Team. I am very grateful to Shane for taking the time to speak to us as he is currently double jobbing and is on tour with Australia's national rugby team, the Wallabies. As they prepare for their final Test against Argentina in the Rugby Championship, Shane shares his insights into what it is like to be responsible for training Australia’s best rugby players on the field and in the gym. How did Shane progress from studying Arts in UCC to working with the Wallabies in a Test match against All Blacks? How do you respond to the Haka? How important is the habit of self-reflection to the S&C coach? How can you maximise your effectiveness when working with a new team? We chat about these questions and more in episode 3 of Win Win, available now!

In episode 2 of the Win Win podcast I catch up with Caroline MacManus, Lead Performance Scientist with High Performance Sport New Zealand. In her current role, Caroline works with the elite rowing program located at the idyllic Lake Karapiro, on New Zealand’s North Island. Prior to this, Caroline supported many of Ireland’s top Olympic and Paralympic athletes through her work at the Sport Ireland Institute. Throughout her career, Caroline has worked with some very successful and truly exceptional coaches – what qualities set them apart? What does it take to maximize the training of an elite endurance athlete? How important is the relationship between the service provider and the coach? How can a graduate stand out to potential employers? How do you end up in a job like Caroline’s? We chat about these questions and more in episode 2 of Win Win, available now!

In episode 1 of Win Win, I catch up with Karen Williams. Karen began her career as an exercise physiologist and has navigated from her postgraduate studies, through an successful and extensive applied career and into her current role as Head of Performance Planning with British Gymnastics. What goes into preparing a squad for the Olympics? What challenges are they facing now that the Games have been postponed? What are "brilliant basics" and how can they impact performance? What is the rise of the generalist? How do you end up in a job like Karen's? We chat about these questions and more in episode 1 of Win Win, available now!

Trailer for Win Win, a new podcast about sport and performance from Waterford Institute of Technology. Hosted by Bruce Wardrop.