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“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.

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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.

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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

Hampers for Heroes joins forces with Athlete Media Group (AMG)

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Hampers for Heroes, an initiative formed in the West Midlands, has reached over 17,000 health and social care workers with ‘thank-you packages’.

Staff in hospitals and care homes, as well as health workers who are self-isolating, have been surprised with personalised care packages, containing gifts and notes of thanks from the community.

Hampers for Heroes was set up just 9 weeks ago to show thankfulness to health and social workers across the region for the heroic work they are doing every day. The founders of the initiative want to continue to show their support to our nation’s heroes with a social media campaign that unites the nation even further. The AMG partnership will see current and retired athletes from a wide array of sports share their messages of thanks by video across social media.

Victoria Hanson, co-founder of Hampers for Heroes commented: “The whole country was involved in the doorstep clap on a Thursday evening during the pandemic, and we want this unity to remain. We recognise the significant and long-lasting impact the pandemic could have on the well-being of our health and social care workers, so we want to  continue showing our support. Hampers for Heroes and Athlete Media have created a #ThankYouHeroes campaign for everyone to send their thanks”.

Mark Middlemas, CEO & Founder of AMG said: “The Athlete Media Group (AMG) are huge supporters of the Hampers for Heroes initiative. Our athletes were thrilled to learn of the #ThankYouHeroes campaign, and only too happy to send their personal thanks to some of the frontline workers who played a significant role in their lockdown. We want to spread unity, positivity and of course, our sincere thanks to all of those who helped us get through this as a nation. We can’t thank you enough”.

To get involved in the campaign, simply post on your Twitter or Instagram channel using the #ThankYouHeroes tag and give thanks to the heroes that helped you see the light.

Hampers for Heroes continues to raise money via its Gofundme page, of which 100% goes towards running the good cause and purchasing items for the hampers. For more information on Hampers for Heroes visit: Facebook and Twitter.

Running Across Australia In 63 Days | Nikki Love

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Tell us a little about Nikki Love?

I was born in the UK, my parents emigrated to Australia shortly after my first birthday and I grew up in a place called Geelong (an hour south of Melbourne) embracing the outdoor/sporty Australian lifestyle.  From the age of 4 to 16 I loved, lived and breathed ballet, I desperately wanted to become a ballerina but didn’t make the cut. One of the recommendations made to me at the time was to lose weight, I was too heavy, it led to many years of bulimic tendencies.

Thankfully an aerobics instructor noticed me in her classes, she saw my musicality, my athleticism, my coordination – all skills gained from years of ballet – instead of my legs being too big, she said they were perfect for being a runny, bouncy, jumpy, thingy (an aerobics/fitness instructor). I went back to College and at age 19 started working in the fitness industry.

In terms of my adventurous tendencies, I’ve always been quite keen to find out what I’m capable of achieving and in the process of that, raise money for charities and also meet and hear the stories of others.

1998 – 500kms in 24 hours Team Cycle Relay – from top to bottom of the state of Victoria, Aus.

2002 – London Marathon (No. 1)

2004 – London Marathon (No. 2)

2010 – 7 marathons in 7 days

2016 – JungleUltra; 230kms in 5 days

2017 – 63 marathons in 63 days

2018 – Run Malta & Gozo

2018 – Run Around Ireland; 750 miles in 32 days

2019 – Run Across Netherlands; 250kms in 5 days

2019 – Run Wales; 295 kms in 7 days

Along the way, from the 7in7 challenge I started visiting primary schools, first to chat, then to include the students in the adventures. From there we developed our Love Running Adventures programme.  Schools join me virtually on my adventures – together as a team they cover the distance “with” me. Building teamwork and togetherness and personal progression, and builds internal characteristics – our 10 superpowers I am … Ambitious, Brave, Committed, Adaptable, Determined, Resilient, Persistent, Proud, Happy, Love.

Schools from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Australia have joined along on my adventures. We’re building on this for the Run Across Australia, the more the merrier.

Why did you decide to run 63 marathons across the UK?

There were a few big reasons – at the end of running 7 marathons in 7 days I promised a friend that if I ever did anything that crazy again, I’d do it for the charity that is helping him, Huntingtons Disease Association. The 63 marathons qualified for the crazy title, so I wanted to raise as much money as I could for HDA.

I’d wanted to run more than 7in7 when I was planning that adventure, but I was talked out of it.  The questions HOW I could – logistically, physically, financially were thrown at me, and in the opinion of others they didn’t believe I was capable of more. I listened.  At the end of the 7in7, the consensus was the same. But I had other ideas.  I wanted to put what I had learned into another adventure, I wanted to see what more I was capable of achieving.  It took another 7 years to get to the 63 marathons but I got there.

Then of course there was the question of where would I do them? I could have done them at home, but I wanted it to be a big adventure and I wanted travel the UK seeing all the iconic sites through Scotland, Wales and England and running a marathon along the way seemed the perfect opportunity to see the country as well as find out about myself.

Did you enjoy it?    

I loved it. It was so hard, but I never gave up and I look back on it and I am proud of what we did.

I say we – I did the running, but I would never have been able to finish it without the love and support of my team. My actual daily team was small, it was me and my partner Sharif (Sharif is the hero, he kept me fed, watered and picked me up and pushed me on when I thought I had nothing left). Then there was all the other people who helped – with looking after my dog and my kid, contacting running clubs and schools, sharing the story, donating time and money.

I have so many stories from the adventure. Day 1 I had my first newbie marathoner. Simon had never ran further than 10kms, yet he came for a run to give it a go, and completed his one (and only, he recently texted) marathon at John O’Groats.  I had several more people come and join me and complete their very first marathon.  That is an absolute honour to experience.

Our van broke down in the first week which set about a chain of events that proved to make the adventure even more purposeful for me. Instead of travelling around 63 different locations, I found myself back in Nottingham (still running a marathon a day) which brought about an invite to run at a friend’s primary school. As the Head she put an invite out to other schools and before I knew it, we had 20 schools lined up for me to run/visit/talk to over 2 days. We built on this once the van was fixed and we got back on the move and we visited schools around the country where we could as part of my daily marathon.

What was your plan to Run Across Australia?

Running across Australia has been in my head since 2013 when I watched a British bloke attempt it.  He had a torrid time of it, as he ran during the Australian summer months. Having grown up in Australia, and know what the weather is all about, I thought that if I ever did attempt anything like that, I’d definitely do it in the winter months.  That was where I parked that thought until I started planning the 63 marathons.

As I was planning the 63, I was again “recommended” not to do it, citing that I wasn’t ready, that I didn’t have any backing etc, etc.  The backing part was true, but I believed that I could do it and if nothing else it would be a practice run for running across Australia … we all have to start somewhere and get good at our craft.

I ran my 63 marathons and decided that Australia would be next, however, having learned a thing or two during the 63 days I thought it would be better with more sponsorship (especially for my bank balance), so I ran around Ireland as another practice run, all the while attempting to raise my profile that I do complete the things I set out to do.

I set a date for June 2019, that was when I was going to run across Australia. Simply put, I didn’t raise the money I needed to get it done, so I postponed until June 2020. Enter Covid-19 into the world and again I haven’t got it done.  My house is up for sale (although Covid-19 has put a holt to that just at the moment) to finance the adventure and “Third time lucky” is now the catchphrase.

The adventure plan is to run from Cottesloe Beach, Perth to Bondi Beach, Sydney. The route is approximately 3,800kms (the current route may change due to road conditions etc).

The current Guinness World Record is 67 days (and something, something hours), it is held by a man and has been in the book for 17 years.  My goal is to run 63kms per day for 63 days and that should get me to my end location with a new GWR.

At this point in time, we are intending to take our van “Sunny” to Australia to be the support vehicle.  The intention is to kit out and logo the van here in the UK and then ship it to Perth.  It worked out cheaper than to hire a campervan in Australia for the length of time I’ll need.  It also becomes a part of the story and I get to use it to travel around the country to speak at schools (and run club / corporates) when I get back.  Sunny is a T4 VW camper – ex-AA van.

It is also the intention to capture as much footage as we can to make a film/documentary post event, and I will write a book about the adventure.

The reasons again are many, I want to give this thing that’s been inside my head for 7 years now, a go. I’ve just turned 53 so I’ll be 54 when I can hopefully put this back on the table (the Australian Govt has said it won’t open its borders until 2021, and if that is the case, I will wait again until the cooler months of May to August). I want to prove to me (and anyone watching) that my age and gender are my strengths not my weaknesses and I that I will be doing my best until I can’t (at which point whatever I can, will still be my best – it’s a lovely juxtaposition).

This adventure was also about me taking my next step up from my current level.  My normal became 63 marathons in 63 days, my next level up is to push 63kms per day for 63 days – a marathon and a half as it happens, which is a nice synergy and is part of my mantra of chasing extraordinary.

My Love Running Adventures school program is up and running for this adventure. We had 30+ schools all signed up and ready to run before Covid-19.  We’ll get them back to it when schools go back. My goal now is to get to many more schools and get a headstart on me, and hopefully I’ll catch them up.

Then there’s the charities, the two charities I have committed my time and donations to are Children With Cancer UK here in the UK and Beyond Blu in Australia.  Beyond Blu is a mental health charity that I wanted to support first because of the raging bushfires that hit Australia, and now this – people have been put under a lot of strain and I’m hoping that I can raise money and awareness for my chosen charities.

You are now running across Australia on your treadmill!  Why?

I’ve decided to do my Run Across Oz on a treadmill. The thought came about from the amount of time I was spending on a treadmill during the Indoor Relay event we put on during May.

I’m going to be starting on August 1 2020, replicating what I would have been doing in Australia but on a treadmill at home in Nottingham. 2,500 miles in 63 days!  The purpose is to use it as a training run so that I can address the current state of affairs with my body. I’m going through peri-menopause, which is having a physical impact on me, so the opportunity that Covid-19 has presented is that I now have time to test myself and strategies for when the real thing happens (hopefully next year, but who knows given the state of our infection rate – Australian borders may stay closed to UK citizens).

As part of this, I’m being filmed by Troy TV for a documentary about Women’s Health in the UK. I’m going to be talking to a group of Doctors specialising in women’s health/menopause next week to discuss this adventure, my current symptoms, recommended strategies, etc.

Although I was prepping for Australia, it got put on hold, but my training continued, so I believe I’m good to go, however, all the rest of this is now a rush job to get something together ready for my start – but hey, that’s all part of the excitement of an adventure.

Tell us about your preferred running gear.  Which brands do you use and why?

Hoka – Brand Ambassador. I was championed by the store Up & Running to Hoka as these were the shoes I wore during my 63 marathons and have worn ever since.  Hoka now provide me with my shoes and I currently do talks and runs at Up & Running stores in conjunction with Hoka.

Runderwear – Brand Ambassador. My socks and underwear and running bras are supplied by Runderwear.  Again I used their product during my 63 marathons and absolutely loved them and have been given kit as and when I’ve needed to replace – not very often, the kit is very long lasting.

Kymira Sport – Brand Athlete. Lycra leggings and lycra shorts.  The kit has infrared technology in the material to help with the recovery of my legs. I wear the lycra shorts when running in cooler weather and the leggings for post-run recovery which helps me get up and run day after day after day – essential for what I do.

Polar – Brand Ambassador. Polar has provided me with a Vantage V watch, they have also provided me with a running coach Nick Anderson, Running With Us.  Nick has been coaching me to improve my cruising speed, ie., to get faster but keep my heart rate at a comfortable aerobic level. The Polar watch has been integral for me to keep track of my heart rate whilst running and ensures I’m training in the best zones to get the best out of me.

Kitbrix – Brand Athlete. Kitbrix has provided me with my kit bags and backpack for when I’m on the road. Their robust bags are fantastic for throwing all my running gear into the back of the car or in the van for longer trips.

Kate Percy’s Go Faster Foods – Brand Ambassador. Kate supplies me with ‘Go Bites’ energy snacks.  Running long distance requires a lot of fuel and these snacks are tasty, easy to carry, easy to eat. I love them.

LightUpU – Brand Ambassador. LightUpU provides me with my headtorch and safety illumination kit for running. As well as wearing a headtorch at night, I also wear illumination bands and clips for me and my dog in dull weather – I want us to be as seen as possible and be safe.

Have you already got sponsors for the run across Australia?

All of the above have agreed to provide kit for Australia.

The National Running Show has provided sponsorship since 2018 and I have spoken at their 2018, 2019 and 2020 Birmingham events.

Global Telesat Communications has offered me the use of a SPOT tracker for the Australia event.

How have you coped and kept going during lockdown with such a big challenge on the horizon?

My training was on the way up in terms of mileage and time on my feet when the request to stay home came in.  I decided to stop going on long runs as part of my one activity per day as it didn’t seem right, just because I could run long and for many hours, didn’t necessarily mean I should.  So I have been working on my speed which has given me a focus with my time.

It also gave me time to write my book from my 63 marathons which I am self-publishing and will be launching July 2020.

Knowing that this is a temporary time (still unsure how long, but there will be an end/change to the current terms of living) I’ve kept my focus by knowing that it will happen and I still want to be ready for it.  It’s also given me a little time to think about another adventure here in the UK.  Another opportunity to practice – I’m thinking a point to point John O’Groats to Land’s End adventure with a bit of a twist through the middle.  This will take shape as and when restrictions for travel change.

Who are your role models in running / sport?

The two books that had the biggest impact on me are “50/50” by Dean Karnazes and and “Just A little Run Around the World” by Rosie Swale Pope MBE.   I am so grateful to say that they have both now become friends and have given me advice and cheers along my way.

Dean ran 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states of US, along the way they championed getting kids active and raised money for various childrens charities.  Rosie’s adventures, including the one she is currently on (she is 72 years young and still doing this), were also about raising money and awareness for charities.  Their passion and their purpose shine through in everything they do and this is what I want my adventures to be about. Getting people active, building self-belief, raising as much money and awareness for charities as is possible.

I have been very fortunate to meet so many amazing people over the last few years and I’ve learned that the people who are amazing are also genuinely nice and kind and willing to take time to talk and meet, so I try and make that happen.

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 #makeyourmark

Beetroot power: the root vegetable powering elite athlete performance

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Tell us about the James White business?

James White Drinks is a Suffolk-based soft drinks manufacturer which has been making fruit and vegetable juices for over 30 years, including Big Tom, spiced tomato mix and new Ketchup; Beet It, a range of beetroot juice and sports nutrition products; Zingers, little 7cl drinks with big zing; Thorncroft cordials and a range of classic fruit and vegetable juices. We export our juices to over 40 countries worldwide.

Since 2008 we have been supplying the world’s leading research projects on the benefits of natural dietary nitrate supplementation with our Beet It organic beetroot juice, and in particular our concentrated Beet It Sport shots, which deliver a specific dose of c400mg of dietary nitrate. These together with a nitrate-depleted placebo equivalent have now been used at over 200 university medical and research projects worldwide. Our Beet It Sport range is used by elite athletes and teams all over the world.

How long have you been at James White and what’s your role?

I have been working for James White Drinks Ltd. for just under four years, managing the Beet It Sport brand. My role within Beet It Sport involves managing and growing our export sales distribution, bridging the gap between independent scientific research and lay audiences, developing and executing our brand strategy and ensuring our brand innovation is guided by the latest evidence-based, independent scientific research.

In what ways do you get your product message out to customers?

We exhibit at many sport consumers shows in the UK and around the world, such as the London Marathon Expo, Athens Marathon Expo and Chicago Marathon Expos. These expos are a great way for us to engage directly with consumers and provide invaluable feedback for how we can improve our brand messaging. We also support monthly athlete ambassadors, from a range of abilities and sporting disciplines. All our ambassadors use Beet It Sport, which is important to ensure they convey the benefits of the products in genuine and meaningful way. Social media plays an important role in our brand messaging and we are also active on Strava, with our very own Beet It Sport Global Run Club.

Tell us more about your Beet It Sports drink that athletes love?

Beet It Sport products provides a controlled dose of dietary nitrate, derived solely from concentrated beetroot juice. For example, every Nitrate 400 shot contains 98% concentrated beetroot juice and 2% lemon juice to provide 400mg dietary nitrate in every shot. We started bottling beetroot juice in 2005 and launched our Beet It Sport brand in 2011. Over 1 million Nitrate 400 shots are now produced annually and we export to over 25 countries worldwide, including the USA, Australia and China.

What is the scientific research behind it that attracts so many athletes globally?

In 2009, the University of Exeter published the first human study using our Beet It beetroot juice for exercise performance, and reported 3 days of dietary nitrate supplementation significantly reduced the oxygen cost of exercise by 5% and delayed the onset of fatigue by 16%. Our Beet It Sport shots have since been extensively adopted by both the research community (over 300 universities and research institutions worldwide) and the elite sports world (over 150 professional sports teams) as a natural source and controlled dose of dietary nitrate (400mg per 70ml shot). All published studies that have used our products are completely independent as we do not fund research, thus the research is not subject to funding bias.

What sports do they excel in and where in the world are the athletes? 

Endurance athletes are an important constituent of our Beet It Sport consumer demographic. However, since the publication of Wylie et al (2013) ‘Dietary nitrate supplementation improves team sport-specific intense intermittent exercise performance’ and subsequent team sport-specific related publications by the Exeter team, we have supplied a substantial number of athletes and professional teams from multiple-sprint sports and in speed and power events around the world; including teams from the English Premier League, Premiership Rugby Union, International Rugby Union (7 of the top 10 ranking International Rugby teams), Super Rugby League, American National Football League, North American National Hockey League, US Major League Baseball, US National Basketball Association, US Major League Soccer and individual Olympic and Paralympic athletes from a range of sporting disciplines

Who are some of the big names and teams who drink the Beet It Sports product?

Beet It Sport is used by an extraordinarily high percentage of the world’s sporting elite, including over 150 professional sports teams from around the world. Notably, Beet It Sport is used by professional teams in Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) World Tour (e.g. Team INEOS, BORA-hansgrohe, Team Dimension Data), Triathlon (e.g. British Triathlon, USA Triathlon, Canada Triathlon), Rowing (e.g. British Rowing, US Rowing) and the prodigious NN Running Team, who collectively hold the 5,000 m, 10,000 m (both Kenenisa Bekele), 15,000 m (Joshua Cheptegei), half marathon (Geoffrey Kamworor) and marathon (Eliud Kipchoge) world records. We famously supplied Leicester City FC during their English Premiership winning season and continue to supply many teams within the English Premier League, Premiership Rugby Union, International Rugby Union, Super Rugby League, NFL, NHL, NBA, and the MLS.

How has the business fared in lockdown?

We are faring relatively well during the lockdown and feel very fortunate to still have a business. We are looking forward to when sports events and competitions can resume so we can really engage with our brilliant consumer base again!

What’s next for James White?  Are they plans to get more involved in the sports sector? Eg: team sponsorship?

We are excited to have recently launched a new range of products; our Big Tom Ketchup and a new range of Prune juice drinks. We also have a product in development for our Beet It Sport range, so watch this space! We receive many sponsorship enquiries from athletes and professional teams and we cannot sponsor them all. Instead, we will continue supporting athletes through our ambassador scheme and also our Official Partnership with the prodigious NN Running Team.

Saving African Wildlife Goes Global | The Conservation Games

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Why did you set up The Conservation Games? 

We started the Zambesia Conservation Alliance with the objective to bring the message of wildlife conservation in Africa to a global audience.  In order to do that we created movements, one of which is #SportForConservation and out of that the Conservation Games was born

Who is behind The Conservation Games? 

My brother Robin, my wife Suzanne and myself conceived the idea, but really it has been the most incredible team effort by so many people from web and graphics designers, editors, media and sports personalities to tourism and wildlife gurus and enthusiasts.

How does The Conservation Games work?  How is it played? 

At the moment all the matches are played online and then professionally edited before release to the public.  The episodes are in a “quiz-style” format.  Players have been grouped into different teams, Buffalo, Lion, Elephant and Leopard.  One player per team is matched against a competitor from another team. They have a match master that moderates the match and they fight it out to see who can get the most correct sports and conservation answers and then it all culmnitaes in the Whacky Wild at the end, a real crowd puller because it forces the competitors out of the comfort zones and in so doing perform some crazy funny stunts, such as acting out an Elephant Ear Flap and Charge.  In addition to the games themselves we have a series of Captains’ Runs happening alongside where the teams all get together online with one of our esteemed Conservation Coaches, all experts in their field. Players and teams get to learn more about the complexities of wildlife conservation and explore some of the answers to this tough challenge.  Extra points are allocated for team dedication, participation and relevant interaction during the Captains’ Runs.

Where can you watch The Conservation Games? 

The base platform is on the Conservation Games YouTube channel with regular posts to our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.

What sort of athletes and former athletes do you have supporting & playing? 

All players need to have either represented their country or performed at the highest professional level in sport.  We have close to 80 players signed up from multiple disciplines such as rugby, cricket, football, tennis, rowing, hockey, golf, diving, motorbiking, athletics, sailing and more.  For example we have some of the most famous Springboks in history taking place like John Smit, Joel Stransky, Victor Matfield, Stefan Terblanche, Corné Krige and Nick Mallet.  We also have celebrated premier league footballers like Bruce Grobbelaar and Peter Ndlovhu along with English cricketers or former coaches Andy Flower, his brother Grant, Nick Compton, Gary Ballance and young emerging stars like Eddie Byrom.

Have you got other celebs involved and supporting you? 

At the moment we are limited to sports men and women, but we definitely intend to expand and include celebrities from other fields as the overall objectove is to drive as much awareness and support for wildlife conservation as we can.

Which team is winning at the moment? 

It is a very close tussle at the moment and not much separates all four teams.  The Lion team is currently in top spot, but that can easily change.

How do you see The Conservation Games working post-covid? 

We have taken advantage of the virtual world to kick the Conservation Games off, but post-covid we are very excited about the opportunities that will present themselves, such as being able to get many of the sports personalities out to experience what is happening on te frontline for Conservation.  We would also love to create some real life sports competitions for players to participate in here in Victoria Falls – an incredible venue to host such events and central to the Zambeisa wildlife region that we care about so deeply and which has such ecological significance.

How are your online stats?

Our stats are not too bad considering we have only really been going for two weeks (first game aired a two weeks ago today) and it has all been organic growth with the bulk of the audience in Zimbabwe.    Our YouTube subscribers are now over 200 and we are already achieving over a thousand views on some videos with others due to do that soon.  Our Facebook page has well over a thousand likes and is growing daily with an ever expanding audience reach into the tens of thousands. It is early days and the growth has been good, but we definitely need to reach a much wider audience if we really want to make a meaningful impact and fulfill our objective to create global awareness for wildlife conservation in Africa.

Visit www.conservationgames.com for more details.

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 #makeyourmark

Making It Happen | Lamar Roberts

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Remind our readers of Lamar Roberts and your basketball background?

Greetings, my name is Lamar Roberts, I’m 27 years old.  I am the Founder and Director of Right Development Foundation (RDF) and have been playing basketball for the past 20 years.

  • 3 years professional with London Lions Basketball
  • Midnight Madness Winner
  • Travelled to St Kitts & Paris
  • Scholarship & Bursary from Sir John Cass at University of East London
  • 1 year semi-professional with NASSA
  • Development Pathway = Uxbridge Emperors & Newham Youngbloods

Are you still playing?  How was the team doing before lockdown?

I’m a free agent at the moment.  I didn’t play the 2019/20 season and last played in 2018/19 season.  Delighted we won the British Basketball League (BBL) Cup and League.

How is the future of British basketball looking?

There’s alot of positives within British Basketball, more youth provision, slightly more recognition from well-known brands, and more top-tier clubs creating a base/facility to produce more opportunities.

We still have a very long way to go, but it’s been great seeing the game of basketball connect during this time, through zoom and social media, across different platforms.  I hope we can all stay connected and realise that it’s important to maintain that level of connection if we are to collectively grow the sport across the entire country.

Resources, information and action is so relevant to the status and growth of basketball in the UK.

You’ve been busy with fatherhood since we last spoke right?  How has it been?

Yes in Nov 2018, my wife gave birth to my son who will definitely be into basketball (lol!), he loves it and has started doing press up’s at the age of 18 months.  My wife also gave birth again in January 2020. I’m a very busy man!

Are you still heavily involved in your charity work?

Yes, RDF known as Right Development Foundation takes up a great percentage of my life.  I love it!  Seeing young people and communities become stronger and more resilient.  I’m very grateful to do what I do.

How has it evolved in the last 12 months?   What will happen after lockdown?  Will the charity become even more important?

The last 12 months has been breath taking, I’ll try and put it all into one paragraph.

I can’t, but we have taking some great steps and have brought to our team some incredible people to support the vision.  One of my favourite projects we put on, was last Summer in partnership with Mayor of London & Regal, which saw product being supplied from NIKE, Lucozade and Casual Tees.  We saw over 150 young people on a Summer morning at 8:30am ready to play basketball through the whole of August, twice a week. it was crazy – we called it MAKE IT HAPPEN, and we plan to Make It Happen after this lockdown, in more places across London!   More communities, more young people taking opportunities.  The documentary is coming soon.

I definitely think it’s going to be key for us all to rise up, to be more thoughtful, compassionate and grateful now and post lockdown, because many people and families will be facing loss in many aspects of life.

Why do you do what you do off the court?

The reason I’m passionate about the work I do so much, is because I could have easily continued walking down the road of depression, stuck without purpose and vision, lack of motivation etc.  But I’m not, I’m here alive and well, still working hard towards the goals I’ve set out, and when you see that they’re achievable, you want more, and become determined to be a part of someone else’s journey, then I think what if I had more support, guidance and positive influence when I was younger, what choices would I have made?  So the work that I’m doing now, it becomes personal, and purposeful.

My inspiration stems from my faith as a Christian, many decisions I’ve made have come from a place of prayer.

Have you and the charity coped during lockdown?

It’s not been the easiest at times, but we persevere. We was told by 16th March that all are services would be interrupted due to Covid-19, by the 23rd March, we had a week’s full schedule which we continue to do for our communities to do online via Zoom/Facebook/Instagram, from physical activity, mentoring to workshops!  It’s vital that we don’t allow our mind’s to get locked down in this current crisis.

Tell us about the Anthony Nolan Trust’s work?  Why is it so important to you? 
The work that Anthony Nolan do, is amazing. Unfortunately I come across many people today being affected by Blood Cancer, through Anthony Nolan we have an opportunity to save someone’s life, for me the thought of saving someone’s life is incredible.

What’s next for Lamar Roberts?  On and off the court?

I am going to Make It Happen – that’s the mentality, to keep going, keep pushing, doing everything I can using every skill I have. And using the sport I love to create a platform of hope for the generations that are next, to rise up.

Read more on the Right Development Foundation here https://www.rdfsports.co.uk.

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 #makeyourmark

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