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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

The Athlete Entrepreneur | Harry Hughes

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Tell us about Dangler

Dangler is a marketplace platform made by anglers that will revolutionise the way that anglers buy and sell their fishing gear in the angling community. With secure in app payments, no listing fees, low commission fees and social engagement with other anglers, Dangler is paving the way to revolutionise buying and selling in the fishing industry.  A business built from passion by 3 brothers who are all keen anglers.

Who came up with the idea & why?

Daniel, the middle brother, and CEO of Dangler has always had a creative flair compared to myself and Kane (eldest brother). I remember the day vividly; I had just come back from the gym and was sitting in Dan’s passenger seat parked up in the driveway. I had just sold an item on Depop (clothing marketplace) when Dan asked how it worked. I explained it, and at the time he had some old fishing tackle he wanted to start selling. Dan very quickly realised how effective a fishing tackle marketplace would be. That was the birth of Dangler…

What roles do the founders have and how good a team are you?

I was fortunate enough when starting Dangler to be a student, so I managed to work most days on Dangler, whilst my two brothers worked full time in their respective jobs. We all come from very different working backgrounds, which gives us very different capabilities. Dan is the CEO, he understands how the public should perceive us, and so Dan focuses on the external part of Dangler, i.e. what the public can see. Kane, is our CFO, he is a chartered accountant by trade, so it goes hand in hand, and Kane has the most corporate experience out of us 3, so he often works side by side with me on the operations. My job as COO, is to focus on the operations, making sure Dangler can do what it needs to, focusing on its legal requirements, HR, Recruitment and focusing on the technology with Kane.

What sort of investment have you secured?

So, the Dangler journey has been an amazing learning curve, none of us have started a business before, so it was all very new to us, but in a way that meant that being so naive, meant we wanted to learn more. We began by investing our own capital into the business, with that it enabled us to get through the door at a local business incubator (Shout About Suffolk) who made a £30,000 investment into Dangler, and gave us an office and mentorship, as well as open up many doors for us. From there, we set to raise our seed round. In August 2019, Dangler secured a £500,000 seed round, which meant we could start working full time, and push Dangler forward.

What are your long-term ambitions for Dangler?

The long-term goals are what drives us every day.  We know what Dangler will become, and that is extremely motivating for all 3 three founders. The long-term goal for Dangler is to become a Global angling marketplace, the number one platform that all anglers will use all over the World.  We certainly see that as a realistic outcome.

As a professional athlete with Olympic ambitions will Dangler affect your sporting career in any way?

We addressed this at the very start of Dangler, when we knew we were going down the long and volatile path that is a start-up business. I went to University so that I could train full time, my degree is now finished, and I suffered a major injury that lost me a year, so I still have some catching up to do, but realistically I would need to be getting a job now anyway, as unfortunately javelin throwing doesn’t pay for itself, neither does running a car and the rest of it…

My drive to become an Olympic athlete has not yet been thwarted by my drive to make Dangler a success, and vice versa. Balance and good organisation are key when trying to balance two major roles. It certainly won’t be easy moving forward, especially when you make it onto the professional circuit as an athlete, but, Dangler will always be prepared for that, and my passion for Dangler also means that I’ll always be involved and I will always want to work in the business. Sitting around all day in between training is not my thing unfortunately!

How has covid-19 affected your training / competition & Dangler plans?

First and foremost, Dangler has not been affected by covid-19, we had an early scare around investment and how long we would need to hibernate for, but that did not last too long. So, the world of Dangler has been extremely busy during covid-19.

Training wise, the impact has been significant. The Olympics and European Championships being postponed, put everything up in the air for a while, so we basically just kept my body ticking over for a 2-3 months, now we know there will be some sort of competition in August, we can re-focus. But, with staying at home much more and not driving around from work to training and everywhere else, the increased rest has had major positive effects on my training, and I’m definitely in good shape now.

What does the HH training schedule look like between now & 2021 Olympics? 

My body has finally reached a stage of physical maturity and robustness following my major injury, that we can really start to push my training. So, it’s going to be intense and hard, but it will always be very smart and flexible, focusing on those weaker parts. So it will look mostly the same as normal, 1-2 sessions a day, 6 days a week. But the volume and intensity will no doubt increase over the coming winter season.

How will you look to manage the dual career role you have chosen?

Honesty!  That’s what I’ve learnt is really key at the moment. There was a long period of time, where I was training full time, working full time, and studying for my degree, and that was really difficult to manage. But I learnt to be very honest about how I was feeling, because it wasn’t healthy anymore, I was just running myself into the ground. So, I changed my working patterns around to make it manageable, and that’s what I’ll do moving forward. Whenever something significant pop ups from work, I tell Mark (my coach) and we change my training around, and vice versa. Effective planning and honesty are how I’ll manage it in the short term. 

Are you inspired by any other athletes who run their own businesses?

I know a lot of athletes invest into property during their career as a way to build their portfolio. I want to go a step further. Life is too short to not chase your dreams, and I believe that I can be a professional javelin thrower and own a part of a successful tech company, and I also believe that is only the start. So, I’d say I’m inspired by business owners more than athletes regarding this. Elon Musk owns and runs a handful of extremely successful businesses. It’s all about having a portfolio, and not putting all of your eggs in one basket, I know first-hand how vulnerable and volatile an athletics career is, and so my own goals are my inspiration really.

Find out more at www.dangler.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

Making A Difference As A Team Of Equals | Tofauti Everyone Active

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Why did you decide to set up Tofauti Everyone Active?

I and a number of other parents had known each other for years through the youth and junior cycling scene and had come to realise that there was another way of running a junior team.  A way that went beyond race results, that focused on riders as people.  They’re people of 16, 17, 18 – a formative stage of their lives when they are surrounded by dozens of different pressures.  We’d seen rider after rider fall out of love for the sport at this age and we wanted our riders to get more support, on a personal as well as a sporting level, to ensure cycling remained a love and not an obligation.  We all work as a team; we are open and we treat our riders as equals.  Surprisingly, that seems to be a new approach in junior cycling.  Unsurprisingly, it works.  For the riders, for the team management and, I hope, for our partners too.

And why partner with The Tofauti Foundation?

There have been some inspiring innovations at the top World Tour level of cycling, none more so than the involvement in the pro peloton of the Qubeka charity, which was a title partner of the MTN Qhubeka team a few years ago.  This seemed to me a perfect marriage – using the profile of a pro team to further the cause of an excellent charity.  Through Qhubeka’s programmes, people in Africa earn bicycles, improving their access to schools, clinics and jobs.

We firmly believe in using the presence and profile of a team for good and feel passionate about bringing this approach to the world of junior cycling, again a first at this level in the UK.

The team is about empowering riders to take control of their own cycling development and, at such a crucial time in their lives, we help them to build resilience and determination to achieve that.  Those goals seemed to really chime with the approach and ethos of The Tofauti Foundation, so we started off with so much common ground in approach.  Crista Cullen is very obviously driven by impact the Foundation can have and I think recognised we had the same drive to make a difference in our area of sport.

Making a difference can often involve making a noise – we’re not shy about that, so we hoped we could use that noise to bring some good, through widening the audience of the Foundation and bringing attention to the amazing work it does.

Where did you launch the team and why?

Our launch event was at Look Mum No Hands! in East London. We wanted the evening to be a great night out for everyone, rather than just a chance for the team to stand on stage and be introduced to the sponsors.  Look Mum No Hands! is a venue that’s completely based around a love of cycling, celebrating its history and its idiosyncrasies.  That seemed to fit us perfectly!  We packed the place, had a DJ, had great goody bags thanks to some of our sponsors and achieved just what we wanted – for everyone to have a good time and to associate that good time with the team and with its partners.  I’m already looking forward to next year’s!

How is the team structured?

We are totally committed to having an equal number of junior men and junior women.  Everyone on the team is treated equally, resources are put equally behind the boys and the girls.  That was so important for us.  Joint male/female junior teams are rare in the UK and I think we are the only one which has an equal split of young men and women.  It’s just the right thing to do.

In terms of the team management, there are about six of us who pick up the main roles, though all riders’ parents are encouraged to take an active part.  We have a chair, a secretary and a treasurer, as you’d expect in any cycling organisation, and they do an awful lot.  On top of that, others pick up a lot of the logistics while two of us fulfil the role of team manager with me as the point person for all our partnerships.

Have you got any budding superstars in the team?

Every team has superstars.  Does that mean they’re potential future world champions?  Maybe.  They’re superstars nonetheless and every single one of them brings something hugely valuable to the team.

How did you find your sponsors?

We started reaching out to sponsors quite late in 2019 for this season – it would have been early autumn, which was a point at which most sponsorship decisions had been made.  That said, we were reaching out with a story, an approach and an ethos that seemed to be unlike any other in junior cycling.  People bought into what we were trying to do and wanted to be part of a team that was doing something different, something for some greater good beyond the team itself.  So, in spite the lateness of our approach, we had a lot of success in getting people to back the team.  If I’m honest, we were amazed by the enthusiasm in the cycling industry and beyond for what we were trying to do.

So, despite the partnership process taking countless conversations, pitches, ideas, emails, follow ups and decisions, it always felt as if we were pushing against an open door to a degree.  It seemed to be a classic case of have the right ethos, do everything for the right reason, tell the right story, identify brands with the same ideals as you, talk their language, understand their drivers – and they will want to come on the journey with you.

What notable competitions have you been involved in so far?

Well, before COVID-19 hit western Europe, our season was shaping up amazingly.  The innovative team approach that worked for sponsors, also worked for race organisers.  As with everything else, we never though that “oh, that race is too big, they won’t invite us” or “it’s just such a lot of work and cajoling to try to get an invite”.  We were focused and we were persistent.

Before the season, we hoped that we would get an invite to a UCI race (the highest level of racing for juniors) during the year.  Two would have been amazing.

Before the lockdown hit, we had a race calendar with 8 UCI races across Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, as well as big races in France and elsewhere.  I suspect that’s something of a record for a new team in its debut season.  At the moment, we’re hopeful that one of those will still be held this year – the Watersley Challenge in the Netherlands, where our junior women are due to race in September.

Aside from road racing, which is our focus of course, we wanted our riders to do some other events which kept up their wider enjoyment of the sport and challenged them in different ways.  Two of our riders, for example, were due to ride the TransEngland event, where riders set off from Morecombe at 11pm on a Friday, follow their own route taking in a number of checkpoints to arrive in Scarborough the following day.  Are there medals for things like that?  No, but the achievement in completing it would be huge.  Unfortunately, like so much else this year, this is going to have to wait until 2021 now.

How did you cope with lockdown?

We’ve been trying to support our riders as well as we can.  We have two performance coaches, Nikki Juniper and Russell Hampton, who have been amazing.  They’ve been working closely with the team to keep them fit and motivated through what has obviously been an unsettling time for everyone.  We also partner with Planet K2, a performance psychology company with a history in elite sport.  They’ve been great with the riders, leading Zoom meetings and seminars and sharing a wealth of their resources online.

Beyond that, we really wanted riders to have some chance to race – virtually.  One of our partners is RGT Cycling, who have an amazingly realistic platform for virtual cycling.  We’ve worked closely with them to launch our Junior Lockdown Race Series – races for junior men and women on courses based on some of the cancelled British Cycling Junior National Series.  We were the first organisation to create virtual races for junior riders.

Through our connections with race organisers and teams across Europe, we’ve reached out and found the response quite staggering.  We’ve had some of Europe’s top junior riders taking part, with races comprising about 80 riders, from countries including Belgium, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Austria, Denmark, Norway, South Africa, the UK….

The feedback has been amazing and we have just announced three more series for junior riders with RGT.

What does 2021 look like for Tofauti Everyone Active?

I hope we’ll get the opportunity to do what we should have done this year.  Already, the calendar is looking strong, with a number of UCI invites already received.  We’re just looking forward to being able to take the team out to race in Europe – it’s such a fantastic experience for them – and I won’t be alone in missing the thrill of an early morning Eurotunnel crossing. Nor in missing the chance to put so many opportunities in front of our riders.

Again, we’ll look to mix that up with some more unusual events, hopefully ones that can bring sponsors and riders together.

On that note, one thing we’ve learned from the lockdown is the power of virtual cycling.  I’m sure that’s going to play a big part in the future in how the team connects with its partners.  From the pro peloton down, virtual riding is here to stay and it’s going to change how teams engage with their supporters.  We’re very much up for that and we’re looking forward to building ever-stronger links with everyone we work with.

Visit https://tofautieveryoneactive.com for more details.

This article is in partnership with Castore, the premium performance sportswear brand that exists to make athletes better.  Visit https://castore.com and use discount code ANDYCOLE for 10% off chosen items. #betterneverstops #makeyourmark

Crista Cullen MBE, Olympic Champion, is reaching new heights

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  • Dedicated Athlete
  • International Hockey Great
  • 2016 Olympic Gold Medallist
  • Now champion of conservation

Crista Cullen MBE is reaching new heights in Africa with her Tofauti Foundation (www.tofauti.org)

In the first ever ‘Tofauti Pod’ Crista talks to her mother about setting up The Tofauti Foundation and the live projects being supporting in & around Kenya.

Click here to listen…bit.ly/TofautiPod1

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

Visit www.castore.com and use discount code ANDYCOLE for 10% off your chosen items.

#sport #athlete #champion #purpose #conservation #sustainability #betterneverstops #bemore #makeyourmark

Helping others feeds my mental strength | Tim Lodge, GB Paracanoe

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When we last spoke to GB Paracanoe athlete Tim Lodge he had returned to training after a serious road traffic accident in which he broke his shoulder in three places, smashed his knee, broke ribs and punctured a lung.  We asked, “what’s been happening since November Tim?”

“The road to recovery was pretty slow at first.  However, once I was back in the boat things started to come together more quickly.  The aim for last winter was to regain my fitness and to be ready to head to my Australian training camp by the end of December”

Tim was able to use the tools and techniques that he learnt in Sri Lanka to hone his focus and determination to another level.  He strongly believes that the combination of regular training, meditation, positive thought and visualization assisted him to reach the required level of fitness.

“ I was confident that I could achieve fitness quickly by using all of the traditional and complimentary techniques that I had learnt.  It was exciting heading out to Australia, and I was looking forward to settling into the training camp.  My training was to be alongside  Dylan Littlehayles, the Australian Paracanoe Athlete and World Number 4 in my class.  Dylan is an exceptional athlete and at the age of 21 his strength, speed and endurance is phenomenal. Knowing that I would have my work cut out training with him, I still saw this as a great opportunity to up my game and to assist me in my preparation for selection back home in April”

Training kicked off in January with Dylan, a team of under 23 athletes and Olympic Paddlers.  We were based at the New South Wales Institute of Sport on the stunning Narrabeen Lake in Sydney.  The training schedule was relentless, nothing like Tim had experienced before.  He was clocking up 110km’s a week coupled with daily training sessions in the gym.

“I was so fortunate to be able to train with this group of top-class athletes, headed up by Coach Jake Michael.  These were young and dedicated athletes that pushed and encouraged me daily.  To even think that I could perform at this level so soon after my accident was mind blowing”

Tim’s coach Ivan Lawler comments:  “Watching Tim’s full commitment to his training, and the philosophies he has adopted since his career threatening injuries last year, was genuinely inspirational. His improvement in the technical aspects and his general physical condition brought on by his sense of purpose has been phenomenal.”

His trip to Australia was supported by donations from Haydock Finance, Breal Zeta, Breal Business Certainty, Kellys Storage and Tooleys.  All of which he would like to thank for their charitable donations of support.  These donations have played a key part in being able to follow his dream and to gain the best in class support.

As Tim’s time in Australia was drawing to a close, the COVID19 virus hit the world.  Despite the world media reports, where Tim was based it felt as though it was sheltered from the pandemic.  A shadow was looming over the future of the impending season, and it was in doubt as to whether the games would take place.  Talk of the Paralympics being postponed and the selection events back in the UK being cancelled where the hot topics of discussion.

“Aside to panic buying toilet roll, the impact of the virus hadn’t really hit Australia, so after my last race I headed to Byron Bay to relax for a week.  It wasn’t until I got to Brisbane Airport and saw everything was closed, airport staff and some passengers wearing face masks,  that’s when it started to dawn on me how serious the virus was being taken”.

The following day, the UK Government announced the lockdown.  The impact to Tim’s training was that he could not venture out onto the rivers or attend the gym for his daily sessions.  All of the hard work and the results of being able to refine his race plan would not be able to be put into practice back in the UK.  Within a matter of days, the selection event for the games had been postponed and Tim’s future for this year was in doubt.

“Being back was confusing, not being able to train or see my daughter, family or friends seemed an impossibility.  I’d been away for three months!  The thought of going through lock down on my own was starting to dawn on me and I could feel the panic rising.  I am also aware of my mental health issues and knew  I needed to adapt quickly, set up a plan of mental and physical wellbeing that would enable me to deal with the lockdown successfully”

Knowing that the lockdown would bring its own challenges, Tim wanted to put a plan in place, with no set training routine or the comradery of his family, friends and team mates he knew that this was vital to his wellbeing.

Speaking to a local greengrocer and good friend Ross Collins about offering to help with deliveries proved to be a life saver.  It allowed Tim to remain in contact with people, played to his natural strengths of being able to help others.

“I can’t tell you how much this job has helped me, to get me out of the house and break the silence.  As an athlete and living alone I am used to my own company, as part of our training regime resting plays a very important part of the recovery for the body.  But, it’s a very different thing when it’s enforced on you.  My social interaction through my training environment had gone and I couldn’t see my family or friends both of which are important to me and my mental health”

With the competitions being cancelled and the Paralympics being postponed Tim and his coach set about planning how best to keep fit and healthy both mentally and physically.

“My sport has enabled me to see and feel the benefits of keeping fit and healthy for my mental wellbeing and now, lockdown was a great chance to put this to the test.  I have found the hardest times for me have been the evenings.  The mornings have proved magical, at 5am the world is just starting to wake up.  My bike rides took on a whole new meaning, I was able to observe nature, and this became a form of mediation in itself.  By having the balance of the early mornings meant that I now had a coping strategy in place for the evenings by getting to bed early ready for my 5am exercise”

It’s proven that being in and around nature can help people with mental health issues connect to the present moment and control anxiety and depression.  I can vouch for that!

“I absolutely love being out on my bike, it makes me feel like a kid again, especially when the roads were so tranquil and calming”

I was on a roll, so I decided to turn my shed into a gym.  With the support of Haydock Finance who generously donated enough funds, that I was able to buy weights and equipment.  I could now undertake my strength work.   Wey Kayak Club where I train regular also donated a paddling machine.  I was set to go!”

Tim knew that exercise had helped in the past, so he set up a simple plan that would keep him in shape and complement his mental wellbeing, without pushing himself too hard. From previous experience he knew that he tended to over do it, which can be just as damaging. Remembering the wise words of Dr Matthew Beadman who said” you need to be clear as to why you are training and making sure it’s not to just escape from your feelings”.

“I found out very quickly that if I pushed myself too hard then I would get very tired and my state of mind would decline.  This can result in me feeling anxious and with being home alone I can tend to over think life.  This gentle, simple plan took the pressure off and allowed me to focus on what made me feel good.  There is a fine balance for me, its not just about being quicker in a boat!”

We have all had to adapt our lives recently and change the way we have done things in the past. Tim’s ability to adapt and be aware of his wellbeing is a great example to us all.  It demonstrates that we can make changes to ensure we live to the best of our abilities in difficult situations.

“Now lockdown in the UK has eased I am enjoying paddling recreationally really, long paddles with my coach having a chat and a laugh is perfect.  The next few weeks will be spent doing just that, then in time I will build up to structured training.  I have no doubt in my mind that I will compete again but for the short term it’s about having fun for me”.

Whilst Tim was in Australia, he was contacted by Chris McGibbon who was his mentor when he worked in Financial Software.  Chris needed guidance and had seen the change and transformation that had taken place in Tim. He wanted to understand more about it.  By the end of the call Chris had asked Tim to consider getting this important message out to others, and that a wellbeing business would be the perfect vehicle. Watch this space.

“Wellbeing and mental health are subjects that I am very passionate about.  It is a dream come true to be setting up a business with Chris, the timing is perfect.

The company is called Zenval and it will use a collaborative approach to bringing experts in the field of wellbeing and mental health together and enable people to live a more full, rich, and meaningful life.

Tim faces the challenge of his mental health daily and although he has found the lockdown hard at times, it has been an enlightening experience and he has used this time productively and positively.  He has proved that he is able to carry on and function successfully without feeling the need to go back to past destructive behaviours.

For Tim now the future brings opportunity to help people and teach them the things he has learnt, there is also the small issue of winning races again which Tim knows will come again someday in the future.

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

Visit www.castore.com and use discount code CASTOREAMB20-ST1C for 20% off your chosen items.

#betterneverstops #bemore #makeyourmark

TMG Football Agree Strategic Partnership With AMG

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Leading professional football agency TMG Football have agreed a strategic partnership with sports start-up, The Athlete Media Group (AMG).

The partnership will see AMG work closely with the TMG team to build, develop and improve the personal brands of the professional footballers they represent.

AMG was launched in 2019 by former Interpublic Group director, Mark Middlemas, to help make meaningful, data-driven connections between athletes, sports and brands.   360, AMG’s personal brand division, will harness a range of data techniques and frameworks to support TMG’s footballer client base.

TMG Football was established by London based agent Nick Maytum in 2008 as an agency with a global focus. For example, Nick represents some of the top South American wonder-kids, including Martin Satriano (see below signing for Inter Milan), Sebastian Caceres (Club America) and Nicholas Acevedo (New York City) amongst others. The firm are building their presence in the UK with top talents such as Tyger Smalls already on board.

CEO of TMG Football, Nick Maytum, commented…

“As an international football agent I’ve executed top deals for my players, with clubs such as Inter Milan. I’m excited to provide more support and opportunities for our professional footballer clients through the brand partnership with AMG.”

Head of Club Relations at TMG Football, Si Ledwith, commented…

“We take the career paths of our footballers very seriously both on and off the pitch.  We’re delighted to be working with Mark and his experienced team to help our footballers better themselves in the right ways off the pitch.  Their personal brands as professional athletes are hugely important and we want to help them establish the right sort of identities during and importantly after their football careers.  The work with AMG starts now!”

CEO & Founder of AMG, Mark Middlemas, commented…

“Rising star footballers are the future of the sport.  It’s critical these players understand and develop the full power of their personal brands off the pitch to secure their short and long-term futures.  With our collective brand knowledge and experience we are excited to work closely with Nick, Si and the TMG team to build the profiles and commercial opportunities for the fantastic talent they represent.  Our unique & powerful processes will ensure the footballers work with the best thinking and data-driven tools available.  We can’t wait to get started!”

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

Visit www.castore.com and use discount code CASTOREAMB20-ST1C for 20% off.

#betterneverstops

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