What a Personal Development Award did for me
By Sarah Hope
I first heard of the Personal Development Award in 2018. It sounded like a great idea but I initially dismissed it as something to be used by athletes who wanted to obtain a degree or post graduate qualification. Or maybe an important CPD certificate for athletes with dual careers or transitioning out of sport, or something wholly more important than whatever I had in mind.
I’d come into elite sport comparatively late, as is sometimes the way with disability sports. I’d worked for two years before university, got my bachelor’s degree, and was six months into my new career before I even started playing wheelchair basketball. A such, by the time I made the leap into full time training seven years later, I felt I had a good foundation in a number of skills that were applicable to both life as an athlete and my inevitable retirement and return to working life one day in the future.
However, at the insistence of a passionate Performance Lifestyle Advisor, I was instructed to keep the award in mind. It planted an idea in my head of seeking a post-graduate qualification for myself, ever mindful of wanting to return to the career that I had left in order to follow elite sport. Having made enquiries though, it seemed this just wasn’t meant to be as the schedule didn’t work with our team training requirements.
A gap later opened up in our training schedule and suddenly evening classes were an option. I must admit that I was half tempted to use the time for recovery (Netflix) but knowing I would regret not utilising my time when the schedule got busy again, I decided to sign up for something I’d been wanting to do for a while. Photography has been a hobby of mine for over a decade and I’d long wanted to pursue some formal photography instruction, having been self-taught since a class on crime scene photography at university. The people I photograph now tend to be a lot more alive so a different skill set is definitely required! A course at the local college was a little out of my budget but, remembering what my PL had said, I applied for a PDA to cover the cost. Without this money, I may not have been able to justify the cost of an ‘unnecessary’ course, but what I found was my passion for something other than sport. With 100% focus on my goal as an athlete, I had forgotten what it was like to really enjoy an old hobby.
A year later I was struggling with an ongoing injury. I couldn’t train as much as I wanted but I was still attending team training and watching my teammates get better and stronger each day. I was having concerns about what it meant in terms of future competitions and all manner of worst-case scenarios were going through my head. Having learnt from the photography course, and having the security of knowing that the PDA was there to support me, I applied for another creative course towards which I could direct my focus. This time, it was a much needed escape from the pressures and stresses of full time elite level training. I’m sure you’ll agree that sometimes it can be difficult to ‘pause’ being an athlete; always thinking about what you should be eating, when you should be resting, or just replaying that last training session over in your head and wondering how you can improve next time. Except this time, I was really focused on what I couldn’t do and how that translated into my sense of purpose and identity. For a couple of hours a week, I had the opportunity to forget my injury concerns, delve into a new skill, and have a bit of fun.
Living away from home all week in order to attend training I can often get too focussed on my goals as an athlete. Rest and recovery isn’t just about sleep and down-time, it’s about using your mind and body in a way that is different to your normal day-to-day. I believe it’s this balance in life that is integral to athlete mental health and would strongly encourage everyone to take advantage of the PDA on offer.
Other athletes who have benefitted from a PDA:
“I first used my PDA for guitar lessons, but am now going back into further education to complete my MSc. My PDA will provide me with additional support to aid in the buying of textbooks for the coming year. It’s great to see how PDAs can be used in a myriad of different ways to further athletes' development.”
Kieran Martin – Sailing
“I was fortunate to receive the UK Sport Personal Development Award. The award has contributed to funding driving lessons, which is important as I'm always travelling for training, competitions and treatment. It's amazing to receive additional support on your sporting journey, whether it gives you the opportunity to undertake further learning or helps make your training and travel smoother. The process was efficient, and I was able to discuss all my options with my British Athletics PL Advisor Julie Smith, to ensure that I was using it to better me now and and in the future.”
Kristal Awuah - Athletics
My Story
By Dan Greaves
I was 12 when I first threw a discus. My PE teacher noticed I launched it further than my classmates and suggested I join a local athletics club, so I became a member of Charnwood AC.
I loved the challenge discus throwing presented. To get it right is an art form; it requires balance, power, strength and speed. It frustrated me at first, as I got it wrong more than I got it right! But that’s part of the reason I love it; no matter how well you’re doing, there will always be challenges and improvements to make, even now.
I progressed quickly, entering competitions in U15 and U17 age groups and gaining honours at the English Schools, County and Midland Championships. It was a fast paced few years; when I began, I could throw 32m, but my aim was to surpass 40, which I did when in the U17s. I made National Champs for the first time, coming 8th. I continued to set targets - the next being 45m - and worked hard on technique and in the gym to try and accomplish them.
Every event I’d competed in up to this point had been an able-bodied competition. As someone with a disability, I wanted to find out more about para sport, but it wasn’t as accessible as it is today. I didn’t know who to contact and there wasn’t internet access, so it was hard to even find a governing body.
My parents chatted about this with a family friend, who knew of someone else that had a disability, and they came back with an invitation to a para performance day at Stoke Mandeville. After spending a weekend with more disabled people than I’d met in my entire life, I felt like I’d entered a new world. I was told I could be classified and aim to compete at a Paralympic Games.
In 1999, with a qualification distance of 46m needed for Sydney, I was set the task to throw that distance as many times as possible to earn my place on the team. I was classed as high risk as I hadn’t been internationally classified at that point, so it was all to play for.
In 2000, aged just 18, I travelled to Sydney. Some six years since I’d thrown that first discus at school, I’d gone from being at National Championships to the biggest para sporting event on the planet.
It wasn’t all plain sailing. When I was classified, I just missed out on the points test, which they use to measure flexibility, movability and function. We appealed after a second classification, I was declared eligible to compete. This setback gave me motivation to prove to the selectors they’d made the right decision in taking a chance on me.
I threw 46m in the final and came second. It was an experience that will stay with me forever, and one which truly kickstarted my hunger for Paralympic sport.
In the same way I’d set targets to get to the Games, I was now aiming to turn silver into gold. I embarked on an eight-year unbeaten streak, earning five Paralympic medals, four World medals, five European golds and a Commonwealth title. I’m still the current European record holder of 63.01m.
But like all good things, at some point I knew it must come to an end. Something athletes often neglect to think about is our future beyond sport. We’re so involved with the here and now - training, competing and the next cycle - it can be difficult to see beyond.
Having been an elite athlete for 20 years, it’s only dawned on me recently that I need to look to the future and begin to build new opportunities. At first, I didn’t like to think about retirement, as it made me worry I’d become less relevant as an athlete. Thoughts of being too old, not performing well enough and outstaying my welcome all crossed my mind. But as I thought about it more, and sought advice, I realised I needed to be prepared.
Initiatives like the Athlete Futures Network are fantastic. They give current and retired athletes access to amazing opportunities and the chance to learn from athletes who have already made the transition. For me, retirement is about being proactive. I want to be sure I have the right preparations in place for when my discus career comes to an end, be that due to injury or just because it’s the right time.
I talked to my EIS Performance Lifestyle Advisor about my interests and what I’d like to achieve after retirement. I realised I enjoy being challenged and I need to find new ways to bring this into my life. I’ve always conducted myself in a professional way – be that communication or time management – and these are valuable commodities for transferring into the business world.
I enrolled on an athlete to business scheme, which paired me with a mentor; someone in the working world who allowed me to have insight into their business. The scheme was great for me and so important - I haven’t had a “proper” job since I left Tesco where I stacked shelves at University! It helped bring me up to date with how companies communicate and operate in a digital age.
I’ve since completed a couple of other courses too. I enjoy the media side of being an athlete, so I went on a presenting course. I was a little out of my comfort zone, but It gave me an insight into the hard work it takes to be a presenter and helped boost my confidence around public speaking. To add to that, I had some public speaking coaching as I love to tell my story. This helped give me clarity on how best to inspire others. These are all experiences that will help me with interviews when I look to get a job.
I’ve recently enrolled on an athlete to coach fast-track course organised by British Athletics. Post-sport, I feel I have a responsibility to give back to my sport and would love others to learn from what I’ve experienced. I don’t think I’ll go into coaching straight away as it will be important for me to take on new challenges and focus on closing the athlete chapter of my life before I begin a new one.
My advice to athletes thinking about their future is that you have time. Sign up for courses, gain qualifications and think about what you really want to do. I’m thankful I’ve taken time to consider my direction; it’s made the prospect of retirement less terrifying and by trying different things, it’s given me a clearer view of what’s out there.
I’ve always lived by one motto in life, and athletics: “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail”.
Athlete to Businesswoman
By Kathryn Lane
Kathryn Lane is an ex-GB hockey player recently turned business consultant, and also a blogger for the Athlete Futures Network. She’s passionate about helping athletes transition from sport into business, and helping businesses understand why athletes make great employees, despite their lack of traditional work experience.
I was part of the GB hockey squad for two years before being cut at the end of 2018. I was given three months of funding before I was out in the real world and had to survive on my own! I found myself looking for jobs whilst having no idea what I wanted to do; finishing a part-time MSc that I’d started whilst playing; and struggling to get my head around not being a professional athlete anymore.
One of the most valuable things I learnt while job hunting is that often, traditional job application processes don’t work for athletes (unless the job is related to sport where your experience is relevant). Especially when applying to large companies with an automated application process - if you don’t have the right keywords in the experience section of your CV, it can easily be discarded.
So how to counteract this?
1) Network. I know it’s a word many of us hate but the phrase “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is unfortunately often true. When I transitioned, I aimed to speak to at least one person a day to let them know I was looking for a job and needed help. After all, if people don’t know you’re looking, they won’t be able to help!
2) Do something different to make you stand out. After two months of being rejected from job after job (and starting to panic a little that I was never going to find anything), I started blogging about my experiences. Luckily for me, this was picked up on LinkedIn by someone within EY and I was invited to an interview.
My transition into work was relatively smooth, but I had a few things on my side. Firstly, age. I was cut from the GB squad at 23, so although that makes me a fairly unsuccessful athlete, it meant I wasn’t too far behind people who had started their careers at 21 or 22 straight out of university. Secondly, the first job I went into was in a team of ex-athletes from different sports, so I was lucky that they’d all been through their own transitions, knew what to expect and how they could help me.
But this didn’t mean the transition was easy. I struggled (and still do with this remote working malarkey!) to sit at a desk for nine hours a day. I now have to get up at 5:30am to go to the gym before work – I think the desire to train is ingrained in you forever! I found the nutrition and exercise balance quite difficult at first – I didn’t need to eat 60g of carbs at lunch anymore because I wasn’t training for two hours in the afternoon. And finally, the hardest part was watching those I’d trained and played with for the last two years go on and compete without me. It’s hard to find the balance between encouraging them, but also not wanting to seem like the team’s number one fan. Finding other interests and trying to remove that athletic identity was a big help for me.
Now I’ve started a new role at EY within business consulting. This has helped diminish that athletic identity even further, because normally when introducing yourself to people they ask what you did previously. Now I can say I had a different role at EY rather than having to introduce myself as an ex-athlete.
The fact is, everyone’s transition is different. Some people are ready to retire, have a new role set up and seamlessly transition into it. Others have no idea what they want to do after sport and cling on to it for as long as they can because it’s the environment they’re most comfortable in. I’m nearly two years out of the sporting system and only just starting to feel like my transition is over – some people say theirs took up to 10 years.
The important thing to remember is that there’s no road map for the transition out of sport and no way in which you ‘should’ do things. You have to do what is right for you – and most importantly, find something you enjoy!
Athlete Identity: Who am I without sport?
By Rachelle Rogers
When I was seven, I decided I’d like to compete at the Olympic Games. After setting my heart on this goal, I began to work towards achieving it. Meanwhile, fellow seven-year-olds were perhaps beginning to read their first children’s novel, collecting conkers or refining their multiplication skills. This decision marked the start of where my life would stray away from a conventional childhood and I would spend the next twelve years of my life committed to pursuing my Olympic dream.
I grew up on the move, travelling to and from mainland Europe to train and compete, often turning up to school in trainers because I’d left my school shoes in France (occasionally along with my homework!). My adolescent years were full of whacky adventures yet somehow, I managed to remain a dedicated student, passing all my A Levels to a respectable standard despite being intermittently present at school.
However, in the summer of 2015, everything changed. I retired from competitive sport in order to pursue a new goal of becoming a commercial pilot. Giving up hopes of achieving my childhood dream is still one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make. Despite having discovered a new passion, the process was nonetheless a struggle and involved a substantial grieving period. This was not something I’d anticipated, and part of the process involved coming to terms with feelings of losing my identity.
At school, I’d always been known as ‘The Skier’ and when I retired, I wrote to my old headmistress to tell her and take the opportunity to thank her for the support I’d received from the school. Shortly after sending the email, a reply arrived which included the following words: “You may not be an Olympic champion, but goodness me, the depth of character you have developed and the stamina, style and determination are extraordinary successes of the process.” At the time, I was unable to appreciate her words because I could only see how I had failed and was absorbed with my shortcomings which were preventing me from furthering my athletic career.
When I eventually did appreciate what skiing had given me, I discovered I didn’t need to still be skiing to be the person she was describing. The person my headmistress was referring to was not ‘The Skier’, because she existed independently. All skiing had been was a facilitative tool to help sculpt me into that person. Remove skiing from the equation and we are still left with “me”.
It dawned on me to develop into my new role as a commercial pilot, all I had to do was let the experiences of flight training continue the work skiing had started. Ultimately, we’re all pieces of material that are moulded by our life experiences to take the form of the person we eventually become. In my case, moving from the role of an athlete to that of a pilot represents my transition from childhood to adulthood. Even since the transition, I continue to change. As we age, the details of the sculpture that is our ‘self’ (what makes us who we are) become more defined because the most intricate parts of our personalities are developed at these later stages. Upon allowing myself to discover who I was without skiing, I realised my identity never was ‘The Skier’ and nor will it ever be ‘The Pilot’. My identity is the person I am as a result of what these two roles teach me, not the roles themselves.
Retiring from skiing came with a loss of self-worth and identity because I felt I was suddenly just a “nobody”. Athletes are used to being “somebody” because we endlessly have to fulfil a visible role representing our team or country at a high level. It’s ingrained in us early on to strive towards being the best at something, rather than just being the best version of ourselves. When I retired, I no longer had to be the best because I was not in an environment where I had to out-compete everyone else in order to survive. This also meant no longer having to promote myself on social media to attract sponsorship; no longer having to wear a jacket with Great Britain written on it; and no longer being a champion of something. Instead, I had to learn how to just blend in with the crowd because I discovered the rest of the world doesn’t necessarily want to hear about what championship title you won or what Olympic Games you competed at.
Whatever roles you have throughout your life, you will develop competencies from your experiences in each role. In a world where all applicants for a job have similar qualifications, employers seek to identify non-technical skills within candidates which make a given individual stand out. It’s important to reflect on your life and your achievements in order to identify what competencies you bestow. Hopefully, you will discover the competencies you’ve obtained from one role hold a lot of commonality with those from a different role and realise the skills you learn are transferrable. When you retire from competitive sport, regardless of the level you achieved, you will leave with a unique set of skills that can be adapted to your subsequent path in life. Although you will lose your label of skier, rower or runner, you won’t lose the athlete within you. That persona will always be a part of who you are and will enable you to go on to achieve whatever you chose to do next.
From Sport to the Frontline
Written by Jess Pether from an interview with Kim Daybell
Kim Daybell started playing table tennis as a child and has come a long way since. He tells us about his sporting journey and how he swapped his bat for a stethoscope during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I started playing table tennis aged nine. Having a disability, I was encouraged by my parents to get involved in sport and would play with them in the garage. I started playing more competitively and after a coach took me under their wing, I was playing for my country at 11. I got involved in the Paralympic set-up when I was 16, just before Beijing.
As I became close to other Paralympic players, I started thinking about what medicine had done for them – saved some of their lives, allowing them to compete and win medals. I thought about myself, and the operation I’d had as a child. Growing up, I didn’t aspire to be a doctor, but now I decided I wanted to be part of that community, to give something back. I applied for medical school the year before London 2012 and started my studies to become a doctor.
It was a big decision to study alongside being an athlete. Sport is so competitive that to stand the best chance, you need to be training full time and your team will expect commitment. I was lucky to have a supportive team who knew how much my studies meant to me. Some athletes are pushed hard and are often not allowed to take on things outside sport, but that wasn’t the experience I had; my NGB were fantastic throughout. They were confident I could do both, and so was I. I’m also grateful to UK Sport who continued to fund me, which I really appreciate.
I had lots of people giving me advice. Some said: “Maybe it’s too much”, and it’s important to listen to that. I had conversations with my parents and coaches before undertaking anything, and they were supportive, plus my university were brilliant. They gave me time off if I needed it and extra tuition to help me. Building that kind of network is vital because you can’t do this on your own. You must also remember, if you need help, ask for it! People want to support you, so don’t be afraid to reach out.
Having said that, it wasn’t all easy. During my first few years at uni, I definitely burnt myself out. I was working hard but wasn’t excelling at either sport or education and wasn’t looking after myself. Over the years, I’ve learnt when to step back and give myself some time off when needed. If I can’t get to one session, it isn’t the end of the world. I’ve learnt to reach out to people and say: “I’m going through a hard time, could you ease off a little?” When I had exams, table tennis took a back seat and vice versa. Finding the right balance is key.
On top of that, it’s also important to have a social life! I had a big group of friends at uni and met my girlfriend, who I now live with. I even managed to get away travelling. I did my elective in New Zealand, so spent two months there, and travelled around Asia. I’m pleased I managed to strike a decent work/life balance.
And then came COVID. I was working in a hospital, about to finish to train full time - I was going to take the months leading up to Tokyo to get myself ready… but then we went into lockdown. My contract at the hospital was coming to an end, but I told them I wanted to carry on. They needed as many doctors as possible so I started straight away, and I’m still working full time now. I worked on COVID-19 wards which, at the peak, was almost every ward in the hospital. It was a tough time.
It’s hard to process how I feel now; it’s complicated. We’ve been through so much and now we’re starting to look back on it. There are knock-on effects both mentally and physically. It feels like we’re in a transition period, like when you come out of a stressful exam. Afterwards, you think you’re going to be able to relax but you can feel directionless and not sure what you’re doing. There’s a sense of that at the hospital, especially as things are changing every day.
In terms of table tennis and Tokyo, I feel like I’m in limbo. My plan was to compete then go back to work as a doctor and finish my training. For the moment, my medical training has continued, which I’ll carry on, then try to fit table tennis in around work. After Christmas, I’ll “re-set” and aim to do what I was planning before, to be ready for 2021. I don’t want to rush things; I don’t want to jump from a pandemic to thinking: “I must get back in the hall now” and put myself under pressure. My team were itching to get back but for me, it’ll be a slower process. I need to start simply playing again and enjoying it. When I’m ready, I’ll get my head down.
Having been to the London and Rio Games, I’m more stoic about the postponement than first-time athletes. There are many different feelings out there and I must admit, I haven’t thought about it a huge amount because I’ve had so much going on. Perhaps it’s starting to sink in now.
The support I got from my whole team has been fantastic. I work closely with EIS Performance Lifestyle Practitioner Nuala Deans, plus a psychologist, coaches, a team of physios and more. Everyone kept in touch through lockdown, checking I was OK and putting things in place to help me not completely lose touch. Things like an S&C programme, mindfulness or making sure I was eating well.
Although I had a clear path set out in terms of my study when I started working with the PL team, what they did was help me balance my life. Knowing when to take a step back from things wasn’t something I learnt on my own! The team give you different views on things. As much as your coaches are there to help, they’re geared towards the sport, so you need someone outside of this to help balance you.
When lockdown began, I had a lot of interview offers and initially I said no to them all. I didn’t want to be the one standing up saying: “Look at me, I’m working on the frontline” when every person I work with is a hero and deserves their story to be told. But the more I worked, the more I realised that if you have a platform on which to share your story, you should use it. If I can inspire one person, it’s worthwhile. I feel that happened; I’ve had messages on social media, from disabled people or other doctors, telling me how important my story is. As a Paralympian, I think I have a responsibility to be a role model, so I’m glad I did it.
My first piece of advice to athletes is don’t let anyone tell you “You can’t”. People will say you’re doing too much but if you’re confident and plan well, it can be done. The first step is believing in yourself.
Secondly, time management is key. There are only so many hours in a day, and you need to work out how to use them effectively. You’ve got to be willing to work hard but also be kind to yourself. The reason you’ll be doing multiple things is because you love them all, but if you get to a point where you’re not enjoying yourself, step back and reassess. When I look back, I want to know I enjoyed the journey; it’s not just about that gold medal moment or the end result.
Athletes have so much to give. We’re driven and excel in many areas, and these are important things to promote as transferable skills. Life after sport can be difficult, especially if you don’t have a certain level of education or work experience. Job hunting can be daunting, which is why finding something you love outside of sport is so important; a well-rounded person makes a well-rounded athlete. If we’re given the space to explore other areas, it will create a happy and successful squad who will perform better and also have something to go to when they retire.
COVID has shown me just how important my life outside sport and the support from my network has been. I’m an athlete who was allowed to pursue another avenue, and was then able to help my country at the most desperate time. To me, that shows the value of having a life outside sport.
Next Step READY
By Dean Cooper (Co-Founder and CEO) and Chloe Dudding (Co-Founder and COO)
Dear Future,
I’m READY!
If you’re an elite athlete in any sport, you might be wondering what will happen once that career comes to an end.
Athletes may feel defined by their sport for so long that transitions are typically much more challenging than people expect. Many are left asking themselves three fundamental questions:
What will my IDENTITY be? - What VALUE do I bring? - What are my CHOICES?
Whether you’re looking to find the right career, set up your own business or just want to have a great plan for when the time comes, the Next Step READY programme is ideal for you.
Following a hugely successful pilot programme that concluded in 2019, Next Step READY, in collaboration with the English Institute of Sport’s Performance Lifestyle Team, launched its Elite Athlete Programme this September. With programmes aimed at athletes staying in sport but wanting to have a clear plan for their future transition, and fastrack programmes aimed at already transitioning or retired athletes who have a more pressing need to find a rewarding career, Next Step READY brings an athlete focussed route to a successful career after sport.
Co-founders Dean Cooper and Chloë Dudding explained: “Our aim is not just to give athletes what they need to compete on a par with the rest when it comes to making your next move, it's about getting them ahead. While transitioning to a new career may seem daunting for some, we know the skills and behaviours athletes have developed throughout their time in sport are highly prized in the outside world of business.”
Delivered virtually, so it’s easily accessible, the six-part programme is characterised by the following elements:
- Receive cutting edge training from industry experts, helping athletes get ahead of the competition.
- Develop the skills you need to be successful in the workplace and in business in a safe environment.
- Gain access to world leading organisations, recruiters and guest speakers, broadening your network and insight into various industries.
- Be mentored by top tier business leaders and entrepreneurs and have the chance to coach back.
- Gain insight into your personality traits and how these alter based on situation using the Lumina model; digitally enabled and visual stimulating, you can access ‘personality in your pocket’ and easily compare with others.
- Meet fellow sports professionals who are going through the same journey; create meaningful connections and develop your skills as a mentor.
- Join the Next Step READY Alumni that will be your network for life, providing collaboration and business opportunities as well as a forum for support and ideas.
Shaping your IDENTITY - Articulating your VALUE - Giving you CHOICE
Our mission is that athletes will graduate with the confidence and capability to be Next Step READY.
Programme ambassador Rachel Morris MBE said: “As an athlete, I can't endorse this highly enough. To all of you with gold medals, or Olympic/Paralympic/World titles, you have achieved phenomenal things but once that comfort of being in a team goes, who are YOU? What do you want to do? Do this now... whilst you're at the beginning of your athlete journey or the end. Do it so you can plan and ultimately enjoy your journey through sport even more!” We have a fantastic group of ambassadors supporting the programme, see what else they have to say on the website here.
To register your interest or secure your place on the next round of programmes launching now, click here. And it you're using your UK Sport Personal Development Award, we can even invoice you up front so you don't have to pay in advance, making it even easier to join and invest.