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The Perfect Storm – how covid has given new perspective to endurance sport

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During a global pandemic, sport is sadly one of the less prioritised areas of human socialisation with most events being postponed or cancelled altogether. However this has not stopped endurance athletes from using the stillness created by lockdown, the results being an unprecedented amount of broken records. Whilst the world almost ground to a halt, the bodies of ultrarunners especially have been working at full tilt.

Statistics show that ultrarunning is continuing to grow, especially over the past few years. According to the study The State of Ultrarunning 2020, participation has increased significantly, with ‘a 1676% increase in participation since 1996’ globally. Not only this, but the report found that more women were engaging with ultrarunning. Participation numbers for women increased from 14% in 1996 to 23% in 2018. Naturally, the demand for events has increased too.

Sports marketing agency OC Sport reported in 2019 that ‘there are now 4,300 races recognised and certified by the International Trail Running Association (ITRA), and there are an estimated 10,000 events worldwide’. Sponsorship opportunities for endurance sports have consequently risen, with sponsorship spends reaching $118.8 million in 2015 according to the US-based IEG Sponsorship report.  Although the data is limited at present, the trends suggest that the sport is gaining a great deal of momentum.

2020 has (so far) been a memorable year for endurance sport.  A notable record which was set during the pandemic was by ultrarunner and paediatrician, Beth Pascall, who finished the Bob Graham Round in 14 hours 34 minutes in July. To contextualise this feat, Pascall ran 106km and up 42 peaks (27’000ft elevation) in the Lake District only to beat the previous women’s fastest known time by 50 minutes. According to irunfar.com, Pascall was only aiming to beat the previous time by 1 minute but a combination of adrenaline and hard training saw her through to a blinding finish.

Also in late July, Damian Hall broke the previous Pennine Way record by over 3 hours, setting a time of 61 hours and 34 minutes for a course stretching just over 431km. Hall also completed the run whilst cleaning litter off the trail, making his feat not only one of stupendous effort, but also carbon negative.

3 weeks ago, team GB ultrarunner Carla Molinaro ran the length of Great Britain (1406.57km) in a new record time of 12 days, 30 minutes and 14 seconds, thus beating Sharon Gayter’s previous record by 10 hours.

Many ultrarunners, along with other athletes, found their racing calendars cancelled and their seasons prematurely cut short. Pascall planned to go on a 6-month sabbatical with competing in mind, only to go back to work when Covid-19 struck. Day-dreaming ensued, leading to alternative methods of achieving some mileage. It could be argued that with the flurry of record-breaking ultra-running attempts July has seen, the pandemic created the perfect storm for some lonely training runs and re-focussing the athletic mind. This attitude has not been limited to ultra-runners either, with other athletes breaking records in their own domains: 25-year old Tom George broke the men’s 2km ergo British record with a time of 05:39.6, only to be beaten by teammate Moe Sbihi the following month with a time of 5:39.4. Both records were broken whilst training at home. Sbihi told Row360 that the lockdown provided him with a “great opportunity” to attempt the challenge.

What is particularly unusual about ultra-sports / endurance sports is the narrowness of the gender gap. Whereas many sports are divided by sex to ensure fairer competition, endurance sports such as ultra-running regularly find that the female athletes are just as fast, if not faster, than the male athletes. A recent case study is that of Jasmin Paris, who broke the Montane Spine Race record by more than 12 hours with a time of 83 hours, 12 minutes and 23 seconds. The men’s record for the race is held by American athlete John Kelly, whose time is 87 hours, 53 minutes and 57 seconds. To top it off, Paris was expressing breast milk at the checkpoints for her young daughter, along with the usual changing of her head torch battery lights and picking up a new map. What are the reasons for this closed gender gap, and why is it specific to ultra-sports?

It would firstly appear that although the male physiological advantages generally give men the upper hand in many areas of sport (larger heart, lungs, higher testosterone), this matters less when a sport event has a huge demand for psychological discipline. Studies have shown that women are better at pacing themselves and have a diminished ego when applying themselves to a race. After completing her Bob Graham Round record, Pascall responded that she “can’t complain” with how she felt. The combination of humility and determination often sees women such as Paris and Pascall not only turning the tables, but overturning them altogether.

Due to how the past few months have unfolded in the sport industry, more extreme sports are beginning to step into the limelight whilst mainstream sports remain more hushed. As a consequence, businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the sponsorship opportunities which ultra-athletes may hold. A prominent example of such is long range fuel brand, Resilient Nutrition, sponsors of Atlantic world record-holding rowers Dave Spelman and Max Thorpe, ground-breaking sailor Pip Hare and ‘Brutal’ Claire Smith, who set off on a self-supported run from John O’Groats to Land’s End on the 16th of August 2020.

Ultra-athletes are keyholders to what the human body can achieve, embodying discipline, determination, and an extraordinary strength to go against the grain. 2020 has been an exciting year so far for endurance sports, and the future of these events are looking brighter than ever.

Research Source: https://runrepeat.com/research-women-are-better-runners-than-men 

 

NOTE:  AMG are proud to be supporting Jake Taplin on his world record JOGLE attempt in 2021.  Visit www.jtaplin.com for more information and to pledge your support.  We are also pleased to be supporting the brilliant Nikki Love who is running ‘virtually’ across Australia at the moment.  Super-humans, the pair of them!

“The most fun in 60 seconds you could ever have!” | Adam Baird, GB Bobsleigh

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Where do you work & as what?

I am a Royal Marine Commando currently working in Royal Navy HQ as a logistics manager with the rank of sergeant.

Describe the sport of bobsleigh for those who don’t know.

Fast, hard, rough or smooth, exhilarating and the most fun in 60 seconds you could ever have.

What attributes do you need to be good at bobsleigh?

Power, speed, strength, team cohesion, willingness to fail and the strength of mind to succeed

How did you get into competitive bobsleigh?

Royal Navy team which then lead to GB trials

Where in the world do you race? What’s your favourite track & why?

Konigsee is my favourite track, very technical, fun to drive, and the most scenic

Who are the world leaders in bobsleigh?

Germans by far, they have all the best kit and they have 4 ice tracks on their doorstep

Are the Brits good at bobsleigh?

YES,  and we have the potential to podium at the Olympics given the right backing we will be up there!

What are your bobsleigh ambitions?

One word: OLYMPICS

Is British bobsleigh funded at the moment?

No, all of the teams are privately sponsored

How creative have you been at finding brand partners?

I have a sponsorship package which ranges from logos on Van, kit, sled to visiting us at a European race and jumping in a sled with us.

What next for Team Baird?

Full European circuit (5 races, leading to World Cup and hopefully world championships 21/22 season)

 

The charity using boxing to tackle knife crime | Gloves Up, Knives Down

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What is the Gloves Up Knives Down charity?

GUKD is a Community Interest Company charity, dedicated to engaging with youngsters at an early enough age to present a worthwhile alternative to a life on the street, in a safe, supportive and nurturing ‘family’ environment. We are passionately driven by what our exclusively written treatise refers to as Preventative Intervention.

Why was it established?

GUKD was originally established as an awareness initiative by the five founders Joe, Finn, Dane, Ian and David, following a relative being stabbed amidst the increasing prevalence of knife crime in London. We sought to capitalise on the trust, goodwill and contacts within the boxing fraternity to back us, and we set about spreading the message on social media platforms. We started with a striking graphic on Tee shirts, that have now become a prestigious badge of honour due to the take up of high profile boxers such as Tyson Fury.

Who is involved?

There are many people that have helped, and continue to support us, and are involved to varying degrees to help spread the message. Without doubt, the best young boxers in the country who attended our formal launch at the Repton Club are amongst the most high profile both actively boxing and ex boxers. In fact, we have recently conferred our first ambassadorial appointment on Isaac Chamberlain, and we are very proud to have done so. We have a very special relationship with The Repton; Johnny Nelson in the media is a big banner waver, as is Mayor Elect of London Shaun Bailey. We are indebted to Mercieca for their support communicating with the media. We cannot forget Son Of for writing and performing our anthem ‘Put the Glove on’…which is the soundtrack to ‘The Gift’.

Where & when did you launch?

After 9 months developing our offer with product, gaining traction on our social media platforms and formalising our structure, identifying our objectives and achieving academic veracity from Prof Joana Costa, a noted United Nations Child Psychology consultant…we launched at the world famous Repton Boxing Club in Feb 2020. It was very well attended by boxers, backers and the media.

What difference have you made to date?

We are without doubt the benchmark for launching a charitable initiative of this type. We have inadvertently spawned a number of limited company copyists with close name variations to GUKD. I guess that’s something! That aside, we have hosted a number of community events at local gym throughout London and the South East, that have been well attended particularly by families who are very keen on what we are trying to do for youngsters. For every youngster that is the recipient of the offer of a free starter kit and two lessons, we estimate the viral effect will grow exponentially.

Who are your ambassadors?

Our first young ambassador was, whilst he was initially within our targeted age range, and remains so now he has turned 14, Kye Didloff-Lacy. He features in our promo video ‘The Gift’.  Our first professional ambassador is Isaac Chamberlain. We are working toward nominating a wide ranging raft of ambassadors later this year.

Why did you choose to partner with Isaac Chamberlain first?

Isaac is a rising star, with a bright future. He attended our launch event, and engaged with us in a very profound, sincere and humble way. He has a compelling back story of his own to tell, and appreciates the efforts we are making for youngsters. He is an excellent communicator and a talent for youngsters to look up to. We very much hope, in the post virus world, to have a fruitful and long-lasting collaboration with Isaac.

How did you cope as a charity in lockdown?

It has been very tough for us, the lockdown coming within weeks of our launch. The launch was obviously intended to present us to serious donors both in and out of the boxing world…including the government obviously. That having been said we collaborated with Isaac for a nationwide poster campaign that consolidated our relationship with him for all to see, and contextualise us within the broader sports framework. Naturally with clubs closed, we have not had the same amount of events or new social media posts as previously. Happily, we have been approached-sorry I can’t divulge by whom, to work together which will consolidate our close ties with boxing at large, and get our kits out nation-wide.

What are your future plans for GUKD?

Well, we now have a financial objective, whereby 95% of our income goes to providing the kits and lessons for youngsters. We are now actively seeking donors, and our proposition for them factors in the number of clubs, schools and potential beneficiaries of our offer. We want to achieve sustainable growth in the UK, and with the correct partners, make GUKD a global success.

In closing, if for any reason just ONE young beneficiary of GUKD has been able to practically handle themselves as a result of what we have provided, avert a violent conflict and walk away,  GUKD will have been a success.

Please visit www.glovesupknivesdown.co.uk for more information on the charity.

More details on the launch can be found in the below World Boxing News article:

‘Gloves Up Knives Down’ scheme aims to tackle UK crime

The champion windsurfer reducing plastic pollution in sport | Saskia Sills

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When did you last windsurf competitively & how did you get on?

I last competitively windsurfed in September 2019 at the 2019 RSX World Championships in Lake Garda. I finished 9th overall, out of a strong fleet of 106 woman, and first British girl which was I am immensely proud about, having finished 23rd at the 2018 Worlds. I was placed 6th overall going into the last medal race just 1 point off 5th which was the highlight of my week. Unfortunately, my inexperience in Medal Races (the final race where only the top 10 girls qualify for and its double points) showed and the more experienced girls shone, and I dropped to 9th. I was pretty upset about that but once I took a step back and realised what I had achieved I became incredibly happy and I still am.

Tell us about the exciting & revolutionary changes happening to windsurfing?

In November 2019, the future of Olympic Windsurfing was reshaped – The IQ Foil was selected to become the new Olympic equipment for Paris 2024 and beyond. The IQ Foil is a new class of windsurfing which is revolutionary in the fact that it is a hydrofoil windsurfer as well as a class that is striving to be environmentally sustainable. We reach higher speeds with lower wind strengths; the racing is challenging and dynamic for the athletes as well as exciting and engaging for the media and public. Its full speed and scary but unbelievably exhilarating.

The sustainability of the new equipment is also very exciting, the manufacturer of the boards have committed to carbon offset each board 10x by planting 1 mangrove tree per board as well as using carbon offsetting sponsors to make each event carbon neutral with the hope to become a carbon net positive manufacturer. The IQ Foil class’ environmental policy includes lots of other cool sustainability initiatives such as abolishing all single use plastics at their competitions which is a great step towards reducing plastic pollution. There is nothing that compares to the feeling that the IQ Foil class gives you on the water.

Traveling above the water at a high speed, knowing that you are the one in control of the equipment and the limits you are going to push to be fastest and the best. To me, its complete freedom. With its added environmental credibility, I honestly believe that it was the best change for the future of our sport.

How are you involved in 2021 Olympics?

I am the training partner for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics representative, which I am honoured and feel fortunate about. The changes to our sport means that between now and Tokyo 2021 I will be splitting my time between training on the IQ Foil equipment and the RSX equipment to fulfil my role as a training partner.

What do the changes to your sport mean for your Paris 2024 Olympic ambitions?

I am really excited for the future of our sport with the change of equipment for Paris 2024. My goal of winning an Olympic Gold Medal remains the same. In fact, the change of equipment has only increased my motivation.

How have you coped with illness during lockdown?

I have had a hard time with two viruses that are non covid-19 related since last November. I was diagnosed with glandular fever as well as another virus that started to attack my liver. I had to stop training and pretty much everything else straight away to rest. I remember for about 3 weeks I didn’t even have the energy to get out of bed to make a cup of tea. You hear horror stories of glandular fever in athletes and how it can ruin careers, I was so determined not to let that happen to me, however some days I really felt like it could have.

In total I spent 3 months at home in Cornwall resting and then I moved back up to Weymouth to start some light exercise in February. I literally had to start from the beginning again and so I started off with 15 minutes cycling every other day and have very gradually increased the amount of exercise since then. Lockdown presented some challenges in the fact that I couldn’t get out on the water or go abroad but that was ok. The importance of lockdown was far greater than me getting back out on the water. I am proud that we could all to do our bit by reducing the pressure on our NHS by staying indoors. Rather than getting frustrated about it I tried to turn it into a positive and see it as a good opportunity to train (cycling and running) rest and learn as much as possible so that I could get better as soon as possible.

I experienced post viral fatigue which has been quite intense and something I have had to be extremely careful with, by not adding too much load and intensity in my training too soon. It’s a complex illness and so everyone is different in their recovery which has meant that it’s been a lot of trial and error – I have had to learn a lot about myself in order to get better as well as a lot about health, nutrition and rest. It has been a tough time physically and psychologically but the support I have received from the British Sailing Team as well as my family and friends has been great and I will be forever grateful for it.

Tell us about your passion for sustainability in sport. 

I studied Economic Geography at University. As I learnt more and more about Our World and the anthropogenic threats it faces, as well as seeing issues such as plastic pollution in our oceans first hand at competition venues around the world, I was inspired to look to Sport and investigate how as athletes we can change our habits and behaviours to help to preserve our beautiful Oceans and Earth.

I believe that sport has the power to unite people to make positive change and so I thought a great way to start change is to look at myself, my peers and my sport and to see what I could change to move towards a more sustainable future.

How are you campaigning for positive change? 

I am an ambassador for The Big Plastic Pledge (BPP). It’s a global campaign founded by Rio 2016 Gold Medallist Hannah Mills. It highlights plastic pollution in our oceans and aims to reduce it by using athletes to drive change in behaviour.  As athletes, I believe that we have a responsibility to inspire change and implement it.

What were you doing in Lausanne last year?

On behalf of The Big Plastic Pledge, I presented and spoke about the BPP movement at an International Olympic Committee forum on Sustainability in Sport. It was inspiring and motivating to be there and see the change that the IOC is wanting to implement in order to make Global Sport more sustainable.

Who are you most excited about at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics?

It’s always really special to see Team GB athletes win medals and achieve their goals. I am really looking forward to seeing my British Sailing Team teammates out there competing in Tokyo. In the Rio cycle I wasn’t as involved in the Olympic team as I will be this time around and so it’s going to be really cool to see them having known them for a few years. Saying that, I would also love to see my international friends from all around the world achieve their goals and dreams too.

The About The Big Plastic Pledge

Our Mission:  Eradicate single use plastic in sport.  Led by the athletes, driven by the fans, supported by the International Olympic Committee.  Sports stars and fans unite together.  FIND OUT MORE

 

This article is in partnership with Castore, the premium performance sportswear brand that exists to make athletes better.  

Visit https://www.castore.com and use discount code ANDYCOLE for 10% off chosen items. #betterneverstops #poweredbypurpose

Avanti Communications partners Walking With The Wounded for Oman trek

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The partnership will enable the team to communicate throughout the gruelling mission, keeping them connected and safe. The satellite capacity will also be used to share live updates and videos of their progress with the world.

WWTW supports injured veterans who have served in the Armed Forces and their families, empowering them to regain their independence and contribute across all communities. This trek pays homage to the inspiring travels of British Military Officer, Wilfred Thesiger who took across the Arabian Peninsula in the 1940s and part of the Empty Quarter— the world’s largest sand desert, which the team will follow suit, before bringing the arduous trek to a close on Oman’s Armed Forces Day.

The expedition will consist of a 6-man team of ex-service personnel, trekking 400km over the course of 21 days. The team will endure temperatures as high as 95°F as they pull their custom-built cart, weighing in excess of 300kg, across the unforgiving Omani desert.

The defence and security sector is one of Avanti’s key client segments, as they aim to connect those who protect by providing resilient and secure satellite communications for military and government users in the most challenging locations. This partnership builds on Avanti’s support for the sector in an entirely new way, by helping WWTW to provide the tools ex-servicemen and women need to be reintegrated in society.

Kyle Whitehill, CEO of Avanti Communications comments, “We’re very happy to be providing satellite communications coverage to the formidable expedition team and their supporters in Oman, which will enable them to remain connected and stay safe, even at the most remote points of their journey. As a company that works closely with governments and peacekeeping forces around the world, we are keen to show our thanks and respect for those who put themselves on the frontline to protect others. Walking With The Wounded is a fantastic charity that highlights the resilience and strength of the men and women who have been wounded at war.”

WWTW’s CEO Ed Parker added, “Without the generous support of our partners, The Grenadier Walk of Oman wouldn’t be achievable. The support these organisations provide WWTW has been pivotal to the progression of the expedition and the generous sponsorship cements these long-standing relationships even further. We look forward to building an exciting and enduring legacy with INEOS, Craghoppers, Avanti Communications, Monster Energy and The Invictus Games Foundation.”

Starting on November 20th 2020 and ending on December 11th 2020, The Duke of Sussex will support the challenge as the official Expedition Patron along with generous support from the Royal Office of HM Sultan Haitham bin Tariq’ and in partnership with the Omani Armed Forces. In 2019 WWTW supported 1,906 ex-servicemen and women and delivered 2,671 mental health therapy sessions.

 

About Avanti Communications
Avanti Communications is the leading Ka-band high throughput satellite capacity partner to the communications industry in EMEA – extending and guaranteeing coverage for defence missions, enterprise solutions and critical public services. Through the HYLAS satellite fleet and partners in 118 countries, Avanti provides dedicated fixed and flexible-beam satellite connectivity, with extensive coverage across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Group has invested $1.2bn in a network that incorporates orbital slots in Ka-band spectrum, satellites, ground stations, datacentres and a fibre ring. www.avantiplc.com

 

About Walking With The Wounded:

Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) is a charity established to support the employment aspirations and vocational outcomes of our wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, those who have been physically, mentally and socially disadvantaged by their service.

WWTW recognises the inherent skills of our armed service personnel and wants to compliment these qualities, as well as provide support to transfer their skills into the civilian workplace.  We offer assistance through our programmes to those vulnerable veterans who have been physically, mentally or socially disadvantaged by their service and assist them in gaining independence through new long-term careers outside of the military.  This includes providing support to homeless veterans and veterans in the Criminal Justice System; areas which are too often ignored.

The outcome? Sustainable employment and independence for them and their families.  Find out more at www.wwtw.org.uk

“Bravery Is The Biggest Challenge To Women’s Rugby.” | The Women’s Rugby Pod

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Why did you launch the Women’s Rugby Pod? 
We were sick of there only being podcasts about men’s rugby. Seriously, women’s rugby is one of the fastest growing team sports in the world. A huge 29% of all rugby players are now women. Since being announced as an Olympic sport in 2009, global participation has gone from 200,000 to 2.6 million. Surprise then that no podcast is out there to reflect that…………..until now!!!   The aim of the WRP is to promote the women’s game and expose it to new audiences. We want to excite women, men, girls and boys about this amazing game of ours; which is at such a critical phase of its development. 
Why has it become so popular? 
There is certainly the demand for the pod, as we are finding out. But we truly believe the quality of the product, week in week out is very good. Top class guests from all nations, up to date news and debates; plus exploring lesser known rugby nations who are just starting out on their journeys. We like to think we, as hosts, have a great rapport. We are fortunate to have the relationships we do with most of our guests; that there is a an ease and familiarity to the pod. This always gets the best out of the guests too!
Who is the most inspiring rugby player you’ve interviewed to date? 
That is a really tough question, we have had so many guests that inspire in very different ways. From Heather Fisher and her journey alongside professional rugby. But, of late, we have toured around the world discovering countries that are new to rugby and fall outside of the known and traditional rugby nations. From Malaysia, Ana  Farahanaaziz and her story of being a part of the first women’s club and international teams.  Nahid BirBiyarjomandi, Head of the Development Committee (for Women’s Rugby) in Iran, having driven rugby from basically nothing to where it is now. But Sarah Abd Elbaki, Head of Women’s Rugby in Syria, also one of the men’s national team coaches and the first Asian female referee was truly uplifting, amongst the backdrop of war in her country. True, humbling stories.
What sort of audience are you attracting? 
Around 27,000 and increasing by around 1,000 a week.  70% of listeners aged 18-27, 65% of listeners are female. Our combined social media following is around 60,000.  So we have a growing, thriving and increasingly influential audience across multiple channels.
What sort of sponsor/s are you looking for on the podcast?
It would great to have one of the big hitters that have involved themselves in rugby (men’s!) already.   Simply to show that the women’s game is on an equal footing. HSBC, Investec, Guinness, Canterbury, Natwest, Gallagher, Allianz, Adidas, Nike, Quilter, Land Rover, Mini, Pol Roger!  
What are your future plans for the Women’s Rugby Pod?   
We have only just scratched the surface with the pod really, having just finished our 43rd consecutive week; airing 52 podcasts including 76 guests. There are plans to have a website, which could be a central hub for women’s rugby. A Facebook page, a YouTube channel, more live events after the success of our inaugural live pod (supported by Fullers). Instagram lives, panel discussions live or recorded. All these in the run up to the Olympics and World Cup would great a tremendous buzz.  There has also been the idea of widening out to other sports; so The Women’s Football Pod, The Women’s Netball Pod, Rowing, Cycling, Cricket the list goes on……
What do you see as the biggest challenges for women’s rugby in the UK and globally moving forward? 
Bravery! And by that I mean broadcasters, journalists, administrators and investors putting women’s rugby on a level footing to the men’s game; why shouldn’t it be?  The repost is an obvious one but there is no doubt, the statistics tell us, that women’s rugby is on a step upward curve, whereas men’s is in the opposite direction.   Once Sky Sports took the plunge to televise club rugby (knowing the return would be minimal if anything) and for that matter European rugby and look at the growth. Girls and women’s have to see it to be it. 
Other countries have equal pay in their national sports teams.  When will it come to rugby union? 
It can’t be reality until the women’s game starts generating an income…. but we need sponsors, broadcasters to get behind the game first… build it and they will come!  
What is the most supportive brand involved in women’s rugby today? 
New Zealand has women-only sponsors involved across various sectors.   But there is literally nothing here in the UK, nothing!  Tyrrells was involved in the Premier XV with a very different agenda to supporting the women’s game. 
Who is going to win the Women’s RWC in 2021? 
New Zealand.  Just joking…. well…. England or New Zealand – France will push these both though! 
A-List Testimonials
“Women’s Rugby Pod – an amazing addition to the podcast world this year! They bring you everything from the world of women’s rugby be it on field, off field, current or past that any rugby fan could ask for! Johnnie and Rachael are fantastic hosts and have a brilliant way of interacting with their guest to bring their stories to life.  I feel very honoured to have been on the show and look forward to seeing what and who they have lined up for next season!” Sarah Hunter, England Rugby Captain 2020

“I love this podcast! A real must for anyone who is interested in women’s rugby. Current, engaging, informative and entertaining. Covers all areas of women’s rugby across the globe. Great work and thanks Jonny and Burf.”  Liza Burgess, former Wales captain, Barbarians coach and first female ember of the WRU Executive Committee 

“What a brilliant listen. I’ve enjoyed every episode, learnt lots about the Women’s game and loved the mini series with legends of the game. Johnnie is such a great host and Burf is so in touch with the current game and players; it’s a delight. Thank you 5🌟pod♥️.”  Gill Burns MBE, Former England captain and World Cup winner 

“Lifting the profile of women in rugby is critical to stimulating new fans, players and investors in the game. The Women’s Rugby Pod is fantastic, informative, entertaining and inspiring programme. Johnnie and Rachael’s commitment to bringing such a variety of extraordinary stories covering global leaders and their wisdom and commentary on current on field performance is exceptional. Continuously forging a growing audience of passionate engaged fans and players… The Women’s Rugby Pod is simply made of great stuff! Two talented professionals making a big difference to women’s rugby. Thanks”. Katie Sadlier, GM Women’s Rugby at World Rugby.

“I love listening to the women’s rugby pod because it is one of the only podcasts that actually interview female players. They give great insight into the people who play our game throwing around some great banter too. One of my favourite listens 😊.”  Sarah Hirini (Goss) New Zealand 7s captain and World Cup winner

To listen to the brilliant Women’s Rugby Pod click below…
The Women’s Rugby Podcast Dream Team
Rachael Burford has won 79 caps for England, competing in 4 World Cups, including victory in 2014. She is the first female on the Rugby Players Association, Burf is also on the International Rugby Players Association.
Johnnie Hammond has been the voice of Womens rugby for over a decade. Commentating on virtually every club and international game in England, in that time. From inaugural league and Premier XV’s finals to the World Cup Final of 2014. Johnnie is regarded as one of the driving forces for the game within the media.
If you’d like to sponsor the Women’s Rugby Pod

This article is in partnership with Castore, the premium performance sportswear brand that exists to make athletes better.  

Visit https://www.castore.com and use discount code ANDYCOLE for 10% off chosen items. #betterneverstops #poweredbypurpose

AMG Signs Armed Forces Covenant Pledge

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As the son of a former Royal Artillery officer our CEO & Founder Mark Middlemas is proud to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant on behalf of The Athlete Media Group.

We will honour the pledge to:

✅ promote the fact we are an armed forces-friendly organisation
✅ support the employment of veterans & service leavers
✅offer flexibility in leave for service spouses & partner before, during & after deployment
✅ support reservist employees, allowing leave for training & deployment

👍👍🏿Now more than ever is a time to demonstrate our support for the Armed Forces Community.

Interested parties can lend their support here: https://lnkd.in/deuwM_F

#forourforces #covenant #purpose #promise #heroes #neverforget #always

UK Start-Up Solves Sports Wearable Accuracy Problem

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FocalPoint has demonstrated the software with a distance test on a 400m running track and an ‘accurate line on map’ run through city streets.

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Watch the test here: https://focalpointpositioning.com/use-cases/running (page has a YouTube video)

The film shows FocalPoint tech running on an entry-level consumer device (Fossil 5, £200)

The inaccuracy of GPS and sports-watches has long been a bugbear for both professional and amateur runners, with errors including wildly inaccurate run traces, and incorrect distance read-outs that can compromise training and racing.

STREET-RUN-01-w-title.jpg

Some example headlines below:

FocalPoint technology is designed to be embedded in any running wearable or phone.

It uses the existing sensors in the device (accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer and compass), then runs the data through a custom AI model to build a centimetre-level view of human motion and combines it with a smart way of determining accurate and inaccurate GPS readings.

The software is currently a pre-release and is available for hosted demos.

It will be packaged as a library, to be integrated into existing devices or applications.

RUN-SUMMARY-opt2.jpg

Lucy Woods, Marketing, Focal Point Positioning, said,

“With better data comes better training analysis. The current state of play with regards to poor GPS is a bugbear for all levels of runner; even for the couch to 5km’ers. But for the pro athletes, this data can mean the difference between winning and losing – especially now with the rise of virtual racing, our solution can put an end to poor accuracy.”

About FocalPoint

FocalPoint was named Europe’s Hottest SpaceTech Start-up in TechCrunch earlier this month, following their Europa Awards Win.  Formed in 2015, the team includes alumni of the UK aerospace industry, The European Space Agency, Cambridge, Oxford, UCL and Imperial College.

Investors include: Passion Capital, IQ Capital, Cambridge Angels, Rockspring Nominees, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Demis Hassabis

FocalPoint’s patents include for Supercorrelation and S-GPS, a new way of measuring GPS signals.

FocalPoint contact: Tom Gray – tom@fppnt.com.

PR Contact:Lucy George – lucy@wordville.net

My Life Choice Was Simple. Football Or Gangs | Nathan Mavila

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Tell us a little about your background? 

My family came to the UK in 1995 and shortly after I was born.  I have 2 sisters, a brother and a nephew and luckily both my parents. I grew up in Brixton, South London and went to St John’s primary school where I fell in love with football.  At any break I would play but I wasn’t the best in my school year. In year 5 I made the school team and also started playing for my local Sunday league team called Afewee Urban FC.  Funny story of how I even started playing for them was that my neighbour who ran the whole organisation came downstairs from our estate and saw me and my brother playing football and said that I’d be the footballer and he would be my accountant. Funnily enough he predicted both!  My brother played for a bit and shortly after focused on his studies and now manages a group of artists called HOP/ HOUSE OF PHARAOHS.

My parents were pretty tough on me that I should stay focused in school or I wouldn’t play football. My parents have been the most supportive people. They have been through hell and back with me because of my career and also in my personal life.  They never judge me and always made sure I and my siblings always had what we needed not always what we wanted and made sure we were alright.

How did you get into football? 

I got into football at the age of 7 at school and shortly after started training at ferndale sports centre not far from where I lived with a team called Upsetters FC with primary school friends. From there I then went on to play for the school team, then signed for my first local team Afewee Urban. When I got into secondary school I captained both my secondary school teams (Bishop Thomas Grant and Sacred Heart). At my first school BTG I tried out for the school team and shortly after was put forward to try out for South London district schools, which is the best players that attend schools in Lambeth southwark and a few other boroughs, I managed to captain them and shortly after I was put forward for London county schools which is the best players in the whole of London and also captained them till the age of 15 when I stopped playing for them as football began getting serious.

When I was younger football was my life. Me and friends would sit at the computer and email clubs for trials, call scouts and academies but would never get a response or they’d shut us down. While playing for south london at 13 years old, the coach was the head scout at Wycombe Wanderers FC and organised a game against them. And we played them and me and 2 other players got offered to sign that same day (John Afolabi Coker and Jordon Ibe.) I took the papers home to my dad and he didn’t believe me!  And from there I got my young career started. I made my reserves and under 18’s debut at the age of 14.   At that time Arsenal had come in for me and I went to train with them at the ground in Hale End being scouted by the legend Liam Brady. They had offered to sign me but Wycombe had put a price tag that Arsenal were not prepared to pay so that broke down and I went back to Wycombe and played 2 more years at Wycombe before the academy folded and all players had got released. Luckily I had clubs watching me, I managed to go to Chelsea on trial but didn’t get in and West Ham offered me a deal right after.  I spent 4 years there, doing a 2 year scholarship and turning pro and doing 2 years there as a pro too. I also made the bench in a Europa League fixture against Astra Giurgiu in Romania. A lot of great and bad memories I don’t think I’ll be able to put all in this.  Shortly after being released, I went on trial at a few places but nothing worked out so I decided to sign in non-league and get some game time.

What age did you get into Wycombe Wanderers academy?

I signed for Wycombe at 13 years old.  I had a friend who was at my school BTG, her dad was a scout at Charlton and he came to watch our school games quite a bit. Before Wycombe he got me down to come and train with them but something just didn’t feel right and I enjoyed playing with my friends at that time.  All 3 of us going to training and playing together, the banter and performances together was a great feeling.

What impact did your friend being stabbed have on you? 
Witnessing my friend being stabbed brought me to a crossroads in my life. I had to make a decision. Follow my dream of Football or continue with the life I got involved in.  Back then I had loads of friends who were into mischief and where I’m from when you’re in a big group of friends, you give the friendship group a name and from there people would class it as a gang, so it was.

We all got into an altercation to defend my friend, which then led to a fight. There I witnessed my friend get stabbed and killed at the age of 16 right before our GCSE’s.   I was left traumatised, I couldn’t sleep for weeks. I kept a lot in for a very long time until one day opened up and spoke to my mum about what I was going through. She had arranged for a pastor at our local church to speak to me and pray for me. I did not take my spiritual walk back then very seriously. But after he had prayed for me that night I slept like a baby and from then on I decided to follow Christ.

What happened next with your football career?

Shortly after I had made the decision to make use of what God has given me, firstly for myself and to make my friend proud. Shortly after I signed for Premier League club West Ham United.

How did you end up in Canada? 

After playing in non-league, I didn’t feel myself progressing any  more. I didnt feel like I belonged there and I wasnt getting an opportunity in the higher leagues so I thought what is the point of even playing football if I’m not enjoying it or progressing.  So not long after an agent had contacted me via LinkedIn and told me a Canadian club was interested and the manager wanted to meet me. I spoke to my dad about how I felt and he said go out there and give it a shot, you never know how things may change in a year. So I had agreed to meet him and he came from Canada to the UK and we met and I was sold from the first meeting.

It was a project and history I was excited to be part of as it was the first year.  The first season was a very good one, different culture, we flew to every game, people would call the manager ‘coach’ or by his first name which was very weird, housing was taken care of, training was professional. I really really enjoyed it. On the pitch at first the fans were very reserved but after a few games it almost reminded me of England with their passion. One thing that’ll always stick with me is that Cavalry FC has the nicest of people, very courteous and always willing to help.

What other sports do you follow? Any sporting heroes?

I follow boxing heavily as a few people in my family have boxed professionally. My cousin Ted Bami was a former World and European champion and I also admire close family friend Isaac Chamberlain. I also follow a bit of darts, basketball and tennis here and there.

My sporting heroes will have to be Rio Ferdinand because he made it out of where I made it out of and became one of the best centre backs ever in the world, Ashley Cole because he is the best left back I’ve seen in my generation and lastly probably I’d say Michael Jordan because of his drive and how much of an impact he had on people and how talented he was.

What is next for Nathan Mavila after football? 

After football I would love to be able to help footballer’s with their game mentally, so currently I am studying sports and exercise science and hoping to further my studies after in sports psychology. Allowing them to understand the power the mind carries and the power they also carry if they use the mind right. The mind has a great impact on your game and career, just like your body if the mind isn’t well taken care of and strengthened you will fall out of the game or performances will decline very quickly.

Besides that I would love to also just help my community however it may be, giving advice and sharing my story and showing them you always have a choice in life despite where you’re from. I’ve lived in Brixton nearly 25 years now and I made my choice, now it’s time for them to make theirs.

This article is in partnership with Castore, the premium performance sportswear brand that exists to make athletes better.  

Visit https://www.castore.com and use discount code ANDYCOLE for 10% off chosen items. #betterneverstops #poweredbypurpose

British Para Table Tennis Champion Martin Perry Joins AMG

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The Athlete Media Group are delighted to have signed personal terms with leading GB para table tennis player and current world number 19, Martin Perry.

Perry is 5 years into his professional table tennis career and in that time has won 3 national titles (2 British & 1 Scottish) and an incredible 51 medals.

AMG will work with Martin to grow his personal brand in all areas off the table by harnessing their unique brand performance framework, SPRINT.

Perry said of his decision to work with AMG, “I’m so excited to sign with AMG! It’s a great opportunity for me to grow myself on and off the table with their support. I can’t wait to see what we get up to. Mark and all the team have been so supportive already, I know big things are to come.”

Mark Middlemas, CEO of AMG, commented, “I am immensely proud that Martin has chosen AMG to represent him and help him grow his personal brand and off-the-table interests.  He is a legend of his sport and a wonderfully positive human being who wants to be the best so we can’t wait to get started.”

Martin Perry Key Statistics

  • Age: 26
  • Home club: Drumchapel TTC
  • Full-time professional: 5 years
  • World ranking current 19, highest 14
  • National titles: 3 – 2x British, 1 Scottish
  • International medals: 51
  • Rangers FC & Man Utd fan: life
  • Glasgow Warriors fan: 3 years
  • Outside interests: Harry Potter & Marvel

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