England rugby stalwart Lewis Moody was known for his all-action approach which left everything on the pitch. You don’t get the nickname 'mad dog’ for nothing. Yet it was off the pitch that Lewis Moody had to overcome his biggest challenges, most notably having to deal with ulcerative colitis as a young player in an environment where sharing your vulnerabilities wasn't exactly encouraged. Lewis credits these obstacles as opportunities to overcome difficult things and his incredible career is...

Team GB’s Emma Finucane is on a whirlwind rise through women’s cycling and is heading to Paris with high hopes that she could become the next name in British Cycling royalty. Just a year ago, this wasn’t even part of the plan. It all changed for the 21-year-old when she won the 2023 World Championships as a newcomer and she’s since had to manage the shift in expectations and attention that comes when you’re no longer an underdog but one of the favourites. She discusses her rise to the top,...

Michael Easter is a journalist and author whose two books ‘The Comfort Crisis’ and ‘Scarcity Brain’ reveal the ways in which the modern world has become incompatible with the way our animal brains are wired. In fact, we’re living pretty much the opposite lives to those of our ancestors. We have an excess of food which makes us crave other fixes, we sit down all day indoors and have had to invent the concept of exercise. His own journey to quitting alcohol made him realise that the greatest...

As crazy as it sounds, middle-distance runner Jake Wightman doesn’t really enjoy the act of going for a run. Sounds like a bit of a problem when you’re an elite athlete with his sights set on an Olympic gold this summer. As a talented and sporty kid he was spotted for his potential and realised he needed to grab the opportunity - and the responsibility - that comes with it. Fortunately what he does love though is racing and the 2022 1500m World Champion offers a fascinating insight into what...

Journalist and author Bryony Gordon’s books, including her latest ‘Mad Woman’, are dark, funny, no holds barred accounts, of what it’s like to live with addiction and mental illness while, at the same time, putting on the mask of being a high-functioning and successful human being.  Now a mental health campaigner, she sees her honesty about her struggles as an essential part of staying well, and a way to connect with others. As she learned in therapy, ‘shame dies when you expose it to the...

Big wave surfing is a sport like no other. Clearly you need incredible technique and athleticism just to be in the conversation. But beyond that it’s the mental side of taking on a monster wave, each one unique in how it forms and breaks, that puts it in a category all its own. British surfer Laura Crane takes us inside this otherworldly pursuit, from the moments of calm as she waits for her chance, to the instant game face required to enter the fray and take on a wave as big as an office...

GB Triathlete Beth Potter didn’t even own a bike eight years ago. Now she is a gold medal favourite for the women’s triathlon in Paris this summer. The story of why she decided to trust her instincts and quit track athletics for a completely new sport is a lesson in trusting your instincts, staying patient and taking advice from people who really know. There was no immediate success to validate her decision either. She realised that learning to handle doubts and instead focus on the daily...

It’s the most basic function we all take for granted but learning to harness our breathing can help us manage stress, release tension and even allow us to switch our mindsets when we need to.   Stuart Sandeman was grieving the death of his girlfriend when he booked a breath class as a Mother’s Day gift. What happened in the next hour changed the course of his life and he now works as a breath coach to high-performers in different fields. The author of Breathe In, Breathe Out tells Georgie of...

How do you approach a goal as big as becoming the fast man on planet Earth? Team GB sprinter Zharnel Hughes made incredible strides in 2023, blitzing a new British record of 9.83 seconds, and now has his sights on the Olympics in Paris this summer. He goes through some of the techniques and habits that have helped him on his journey - including why journalling has become a major part of his routine, how he handles the heart-pumping tension of a big race, plus when and how he uses...

Asking yourself this simple question is something that coach Alex Kergall believes is central to performing at our best. And he should know. He spends his life helping CEOs and professional athletes to keep improving. In his chat with Georgie, he considers the common characteristics and challenges of building the life we truly want to live, why we often approach life ‘upside-down’ and if you focus on fear, then you can be sure it’ll come knocking. He shares how he works with clients to move...

Philippa Langley has an extraordinary story. Flying high in her career she was struck down with chronic fatigue syndrome and, as she recovered, only had enough energy to read. But what she read led her to become a world-renowned expert in Richard III and ultimately find the location of his lost remains in a story that made headlines around the world. It’s a lesson in high performance against the odds, shaping your own opportunities when some might throw in the towel and how to keep going when...

Rugby player and world cup winner Natasha "Mo" Hunt is proof positive that getting your mindset right can take you to the top of your field - and keep you there. Fearless on the pitch, she credits her competitive upbringing with building her will to win which only seems to be getting stronger in her thirties. One performance tip she prizes above all others is having the right people around you. Where your attention goes, so does your performance. It's why she also emphasises the importance of...

Studies show those living in the Nordic regions are happier than in the rest of the world. Why? Helen Russell is a best selling author and speaker and has raised her children in Denmark. She shares with Georgie what she's discovered about how the culture of a place can truly sway the happiness dial. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anya Hindmarch joins Georgie on this episode to explain why women are ‘organizational legends’ and how positive thinking is a necessary prerequisite for any entrepreneur. Anya describes her passion for order and how a lifelong obsession for labeling has shaped her business. As a mother of 5 and a business leader she shares with Georgie the deeper thinking behind her book’s title “If in doubt, wash your hair” and why she’ll continue to pass down the advice her dad gave her, ‘if you can see it,...

Sleep is the precondition to life. It is something we all do so, how come so many of us get it wrong? Anna West explains to Georgie why sleep should be part of everyones performance enhancement strategy and they discuss how we can all change small things in our day to day to help us get a good nights rest. Anna West specialises in sleep, recovery, and wellbeing. Her company, Sleep2perform is a scientifically-grounded consultancy that aims to create projects to positively change behaviour and...

Hanneke Smits shares with Georgie the best way to approach the balance of work and home life, plus her time saving tips to creating efficiency - and achieve results. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you get to the top in an industry historically dominated by men? Hanneke Smits is the Global Head of Investment Management at BNY Mellon, a leading figure in finance and advocate for diversifying the workplace. In this episode she and Georgie unpick her journey to the top, and the pivotal decisions that determined her career. Why are there still problems with equality in the workplace? We all know business is full of surprises, but the biggest shock is that there is still a lack of...

According to Dr Mark Plotkin 'western medicine is the most successful sytem of healing ever devised, but there's plenty of holes in it.' In this 'how to' he explains to Georgie how the Amazon can fill those gaps and why proactivity around healthcare is the best way forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Mark Plotkin, ethnobotanist and advocate for tropical rainforest conservation, joins Georgie this week to discuss the power of plants and his connection to the Amazon. He discusses with Georgie his journey to becoming a leading ethnobotanist, the impact ayahuasca can have in a time of psychedelic renaissance and how having 'the father of ethnobotany' as a mentor has influenced his work. Mark is an activist for the protection of the rainforest and communities who live there, but why is this...

John McAvoy is no stranger to change having spent 10 years in prison and subsequently become a professional athlete. In this 'how to' he tells Georgie his thoughts on what you need most in life to drive change. From growth mindset, to making the best out of the opportunities that present themselves, find out how you can be more open to change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John McAvoy’s history previously read like a who and how to of organised crime but in his own words, sport saved his life. So, how did he go from prison to professional athlete? Georgie talks to John about his journey back to the outside world and the people who changed his life. He is the perfect example of why giving others a second chance could make a difference and why you should use your experience to help others. With the right circumstance, people and opportunity John believes...

Why do we need to be patient to problem solve? Not all of us are good at employing patience. Richard Joseph says it’s the one skill you need most when designing household products and that the best ideas always come from working through a common problem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you re-invent a chopping board? From the garage at home to an award winning business, Richard Joseph, one half of the household brand that is Joseph Joseph, tell us how to work out what's a hit and what's a miss in business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to know how to eat yourself better? Ella Mills, founder of Deliciously Ella, shares her top tips on how to eat well and get the best out of your day Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's never too late to make significant and positive change where your gut is concerned. In this week’s Performance People, Georgie Ainslie talks to scientist and gut expert Dr. Megan Rossi about the brain-gut connection, the myths around gut health, what we really know about food additives, and why we should beware of the commercialisation around gut health being ahead of the research.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.