In Kwale County, Kenya, the sight of cyclists riding through the hills has taken on a new meaning. This is not only a ride for fitness or leisure, it is a ride for life. It is the Cycle For Sables, a movement dedicated to protecting the Sable Antelope, a species found only in the Shimba Hills National Reserve and now perilously close to extinction, with fewer than 60 left in the wild.

For Diana Heri, one of the driving forces behind the initiative, the project is rooted in a simple belief: “Sport has the power to champion relevant social and environmental causes. Through cycling, we wanted to create something bigger than ourselves , a call to protect what is left before it is lost.”

How TAP Shaped the Journey

When Diana joined the True Athlete Project’s Membership in 2024, the Cycle For Sables had just begun. “At that time, we had only two cyclists under our banner,” she recalls. “I was excited, but I also wasn’t sure how to grow it into something meaningful for the wider community.”

Over the year, everything changed. With insights from the global TAP community, Diana began to see sport through a new lens. “The TAP Membership has opened my eyes to possibilities I had never imagined. I have had the privilege of learning from some of the best coaches and athletes in the world. That knowledge has been invaluable for me, and for Kwale Sports Excellence CBO. It gave me the confidence to think bigger.”

And think bigger she did. One year later, more than 60 cyclists joined the campaign, riding together in support of the sable antelope. “Seeing that growth, seeing people come together for conservation, was overwhelming,” Diana says. “It showed me what is possible when we use sport with intention and compassion.”

A Community Brought Together

For Diana, the true success of Cycle For Sables is not measured in numbers but in connection. “Through this program, we have managed to bring our community together around something that matters to all of us. The sable antelope is part of our identity in Kwale. To protect it is to protect who we are.”

She describes the feeling of watching cyclists ride through the landscape, each pedal stroke carrying with it a message of hope: “It’s not just about cycling. It’s about telling the story of the sable antelope, and making sure that story continues for generations.”

Gratitude and Vision 

Diana is clear about where part of this inspiration comes from: “It is no coincidence that my one year with TAP has coincided with the growth of Cycle For Sables. The program has taught me to see beyond medals and victories, and to focus on the bigger picture. TAP has empowered me, and through me, empowered our whole organisation.”

Looking ahead, her vision is filled with hope. “I believe Cycle For Sables can become a legacy. It can remind us that sport has the power to unite us, to protect what is precious, and to leave the world better than we found it.” 

The True Athlete Project Membership is a an international community of athletes, coaches, practitioners, sports psychologists, authors, mindfulness teachers creating a movement to reimagine sport.  Join and get access to:

• Live experiential workshops on topics like holistic athlete development, mindfulness, creative coaching techniques etc.
• Guest speakers: olympians and elite athletes.
• Year long courses with renowned authors
• TAP Resources: meditations, books, podcasts, sports documentaries, movement classes and more.
• Monthly meetups

Link to join at no cost.

#TAPCommunity 

​TAP: What was your relationship to sport like before TAP?
Lewis Richardson:  Pre TAP, my relationship with sport was a positive one - albeit clouded by uncertainty in my career, and with a major focus on the outcome as oppose to the process more results focused. The TAP programme supported me to look within, establish and consolidate my values and provided greater clarity on my sporting path. As we know as athletes, this clarity can be hard to come by, and even harder to keep hold of. 

TAP: Can you describe one moment from your TAP experience that really stuck with you? Something that moved you, surprised you, or changed your perspective?
Lewis Richardson: Two key moments spring to mind when I think of what TAP experiences really stuck with me. Firstly, how we were challenged to look within, before we looked out to support the world and leave a positive social impact. This really helped me to learn about myself and establish what I truly valued. Secondly, a quote shared by one of the cohort members.. ‘flowing will get you place forcing never could’. This is a quote I now attempt to practice on a daily basis, and can confidently say I lived by this during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
​

TAP: ​How did it feel to be part of the programme or TAP space? Were there any emotions, shifts, or ‘aha’ moments that stand out?
Lewis Richardson: Initially, my main reason for becoming part of the TAP programme was because I was curious. I felt vulnerable soon after, but was welcomed into the community with open arms. Presentation day was a standout moment for me, where we came together face-to-face to present how we were ‘Powered by Purpose’. 

TAP: ​What would you tell your past self before you started this journey?
Lewis Richardson:  Trust your instincts, back yourself and be open to vulnerability, it is one of our greatest strengths!

Powered by Purpose, delivered in partnership with UK Sport, is a six-month learning and development programme designed to improve athlete’s knowledge, confidence, and skills to become effective changemakers in social causes authentic and genuine to them.
​
Read more about the Powered by Purpose programme here.

The phrase "Holistic Athlete Development" is gaining more attention in the world of sport, bringing with it a powerful opportunity to reshape how we understand and unlock sport’s true potential. But with this rising awareness comes the risk that these vital principles become diluted, turning into nothing more than buzzwords or checklist items for teams and sports organisations to tick off, rather than meaningful commitments to athlete wellbeing and growth.
​
At The True Athlete Project, the concept of holistic athlete development is so much more than a phrase, it is the heartbeat of everything we stand for. As the Head of Holistic Development, I see daily how this philosophy breathes life into our work, shaping not only what we say, but how we deeply support every athlete, coach, and organisation we engage with. 

But what is Holistic Athlete Development?

Reading through recent literature, it’s clear that the idea of holistic athlete development resonates through the sporting landscape beyond TAP. Academic definitions describe it as recognising athletes as whole people whose development spans far beyond the physical and technical skills associated with performance. It encompasses athletic ability, yes, but also health and wellbeing, life skills for success beyond sport, transitions, and psychological growth. 

While TAP aims to embrace these insights, we see too many examples of sport organisations and teams who are missing the opportunity to truly embody this broader definition of the athletic experience. This “tick box” approach can manifest in several ways:

• Sport organisations organising one-off holistic development workshops or talks which fail to address how the weekly schedule, coaching culture, or training environment remain entirely performance-driven. 
• Coaches who receive a single holistic development session during their qualification process but are given little or no support, or time, to embed these principles into their day-to-day work with athletes. 
• Providing athletes with leaflets, posters or online education, with little or no follow-up to deepen learning or practical application of these holistic principles.
• Organising holistic development days in an isolated way with minimal athlete input or relevance to their lived experience, and which fragment these important areas of the athlete experience from performance.
• Providing superficial psychological support by paying for external services, but rarely following through with personalised, ongoing care or integrated support directly within an athletes day-to-day experience.
• Organising annual community engagement days which become one-off volunteering opportunities that lack ongoing reflection or meaningful connection to an athletes' individual values.
• Wellbeing and safeguarding policies which exist primarily as static documents published online to fulfill funding or regulatory requirements and fail to function as living documents that actively shape the culture, relationships, and everyday practices of the organisation.

In these examples, sport organisations may prioritise visible compliance over authentic, sustained change. Here holistic development and wellbeing are treated as a separate box to tick rather than incorporated into the fabric of the athletic experience. In other cases, it is a misinformed understanding of holistic development or lack of resources that produce well-intentioned, but shallow holistic support initiatives. These examples illustrate what is too often a superficial attempt to deliver a provision that lacks real impact or sustained integration into training culture, leaving athletes without the depth of tools or support to truly thrive in their experience of sport. 

In contrast to this tokenistic response, TAP’s philosophy for holistic athlete development aims to go further. Our belief is simple: sport can and should be a force for good beyond results and medals. Our mission is to help athletes to improve performance, nurture wellbeing and make the world a better place. True embedding of holistic athlete development calls for regular reflection and review, genuine athlete voice and input, personalised and continuous support, and visible culture change that transcends formality to live in everyday practice. With this philosophy guiding us, our work meets at the intersection between wellbeing, performance and social impact, where we re-purpose sport as a training ground for compassion, mindfulness and mental wellbeing.
​
The TAP Triad:

From Wind to Wisdom: A Life in Sport
I began sailing at the age of 10, part of a school holiday programme with the neighbourhood kids - because, let’s be honest, our parents just needed somewhere to send us. Little did I know that those early moments on the water would steer me onto a path I never could have imagined.
Twenty-six years later, I’m still very much involved in sport. No longer as an athlete, but as a researcher, teacher, psychologist, coach - and now, mentor. Sport has evolved from something I did to something that shaped me.
Stumbling into TAP: The Unexpected LinkedIn Moment
At the risk of sounding like a cliché, my journey with The True Athlete Project (TAP) began through LinkedIn. A post, shared by a contact of a contact of a contact (you get the idea), announced an open call for mentors - people who wanted to be a positive force in the elite sporting community.
As someone who spent over a decade in high performance sport, having joined Singapore’s national sailing team in my teens, the opportunity to contribute to a programme that prioritised athletes over their achievements resonated deeply. In a system where worth is often tied to results and medals, TAP’s message felt radical - and necessary.
Mentorship Beyond Metrics
After the usual admin checks, interviews, and a flurry of emails, I was paired with my first mentee. What followed was an experience of shared stories, thoughtful dialogue, respectful debate, and yes - some heated conversations about what it means to commit to a sporting life.
Together, we explored the daily grind of being an athlete - not just battling competitors, but navigating life, expectations, and the exhausting reality of being seen as an outlier in the eyes of our societies. You’re exotic and exciting when you’re winning. When you're not, the language used to describe you often becomes... let’s just say, creatively unkind.
A Sanctuary in the Storm
TAP created something elusive in the world of high performance sport: a safe space. It felt like a sanctuary, where conversations weren’t engineered for performance reviews or goal-setting - but instead grounded in empathy, honesty, and mutual respect.
For once, there were no KPIs. No hidden agendas. No ego. Just a community committed to ensuring that, no matter how the conversation unfolded, everyone walked away feeling supported, better understood, and reminded that they were enough.
Redefining Success in the Age of Likes
In a world obsessed with visibility - where every win is signposted on social media for maximum reach - TAP offered a refreshing alternative: a quiet, powerful commitment to authenticity.
Sport is not always kind. That’s a truth we live with. But TAP reminds us that its people don’t have to perpetuate that unkindness. Instead, it challenges the traditional high-performance narrative by asking: what if we focused on who the athlete is, before we worry about what they achieve?
In this space, I’ve rediscovered something I didn’t realise I’d lost - gratitude, kindness, and the joy of connection in a time when we are more "connected" than ever, yet still feel isolated and misunderstood.
To Young Athletes: A Message from the Heart
Thinking about what I’d say to young athletes today, I’m reminded of a poem I wrote as part of my undergraduate dissertation. I’d like to share it here - not as advice, but as a reflection. A reminder that sport has the power to shape not just good athletes, but good people.
To the next generation: listen to your heart, not just the scoreboard. You are already enough because you are that elusive victory.

It begins like anything else does, for the fun, for the enjoyment,
for the love of the game.
Sport has never claimed to be easy; sport is not always kind …
but yet … sport is the passion always on my mind.
I used to wonder why I had to get up and go ….
Now that I’m older, I am grateful for the push and the shove,
realizing the support and the love.
What more is there when something you want brings you so much joy,
and is so much a part of you, it becomes your life!
Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy.
Hurdles are only as tall as you make them out to be.
The training is hard, the hours are long.
My body is stretched to limits beyond.
Regardless of grades, no time for friends,
The training will bring the win in the end.
My sense of purpose confuses me, being so different from all those around.
I pursue this path with an insatiable hunger,
for a win that knows no bounds!

To the next generation: listen to your heart, not just the scoreboard. You are already enough because you are that elusive victory.
- Nicholas de Cruz, PhD ​

By Stephanie Plunkett

​My relationship with sport has always been varied. Currently, I play rugby, but over the years I’ve also been a footballer, hockey player, netball player, swimmer, dancer, and competition cheerleader. Alongside this, I work as a personal trainer supporting athletes – and I’ve been on a journey to find a better way of working with them that aligns with my values: prioritising the enjoyment of movement over traditional measures of performance.

A moment that has stayed with me from being part of The True Athlete Project (TAP) was during a community meet-up. I was surrounded by international coaches, researchers, former international athletes, and authors. Initially, I felt that my voice wasn’t important in that space – these people had so much more experience than me. But when it came to my turn to share, everyone listened. They asked questions and genuinely wanted to hear my perspective.

In that moment, I realised that even though I may not be at the top end of elite sport, I have a lot of experience and understanding of sports and coaching. My voice matters.

Being part of the TAP community has been affirming. I’ve often felt that my perspective on sport is different from others – I care more about enjoyment and athlete welfare than I do about winning. Because of that, I’ve not always been taken seriously in the performance sports world. TAP has shown me that my view of sport is just as important in elite environments as it is at community level. It’s re-ignited a fire inside me that had been crushed after years of feeling I was fighting against the system.

Through TAP, I’ve learnt that my opinion is valid. That I do have valuable experience. I’ve also seen that many people want sport to be a place of growth, well-being, and fun – but they lack the tools to change the environments they’re in.
If I could tell my past self one thing before starting this journey, it would be:

“Keep believing in what you think is right. Others may not see things your way, but don’t let that quieten your voice.”

And to anyone thinking about joining TAP or supporting their work:
Give it a go. You might just find something here you didn’t expect. Join with an open mind and engage as much as you can – it’s a place to find like-minded people, but also to discuss different views critically and openly.
​
The TAP Membership Community is a space for those who care deeply about the well-being of athletes and the culture of sport. As a member, you’ll connect with others committed to bringing presence, purpose, and compassion into their coaching and practice.
By subscribing, you're supporting our grassroots and community work in the USA, enabling us to initiate impactful change in communities. Together, we're transforming lives, one true athlete at a time. Join us in making a difference.
I want to join.
​

Inspired by Dr. Matt Bowers’ workshop for The True Athlete Project Membership Community

At The True Athlete Project, we believe that sport can be a sacred space for human development, a place where young people grow not only as athletes, but as whole people.

But for that to happen, we need to rethink the systems we’ve built. In his workshop for TAP, Matt Bowers offered a fresh philosophy of youth sport, one that centers long-term wellbeing, play, and purpose, rather than early success and over-specialisation.

Here are 12 reflections from his session, ideas that challenge the current culture and invite us into a more sustainable, compassionate approach to youth development:

1. Don’t Take the Deal
Real change won’t come from inside the current system, it will take courageous parents, coaches, and mentors willing to say no to the pressure. Hold on to your values, even when the system tries to pull you in.

2. Not Sticks. Not Carrots. Batons.
It’s not about controlling outcomes, it’s about support and timing. Carry the baton when needed, and pass it when it’s time. Let children take the lead in their own journey, with you walking beside them.

3. Start with Self-Determined Sports
Team sports can sometimes disconnect children from direct feedback. In sports like bouldering, climbing, or martial arts, young people feel their own progress. These contexts are ideal for developing body awareness, self-confidence, and intrinsic motivation.

4. They Aren’t LeBron
Exceptional athletes are just that - exceptions. They aren’t the model. Pushing kids to follow the path of an elite outlier does more harm than good. Support their unique path, not someone else’s blueprint.

5. Reject the “Tautology of Travel Ball”
The idea that there’s only one way to succeed in sport, elite travel teams, early specialisation, constant competition, is a myth. There are many paths. We need to open doors, not close them.

6. Use a Constraints-Led, Macro Approach
Change the environment. Let kids play in leagues where they are both the best and the worst. Manipulate the structure to support learning, resilience, and adaptability.

7. Play–Compete Golden Mean
In the current model, 8-year-olds travel out of state to play six games on a weekend, with just one practice during the week. That’s backwards. Prioritise training over competition, and go one step further: add more play. Unstructured, child-led play is not wasted time, it’s where creativity, autonomy, and joy are built.

8. They Don’t Need to Be the Best 8-Year-Old
Stop aiming to peak at 8. Development is a marathon, not a sprint. Let’s focus on who they’re becoming at 19 or 23, not whether they’re the best 8 year old...

9. Pursue the Path of Least Commitment
In our culture, over-commitment is almost a badge of honour. But investing everything early (time, money, identity) often leads to burnout. Ask instead: What’s the minimum a 6-year-old needs to benefit from sport? The rest of their time can be used to play, rest, and explore freely.

10. Cultivate Non-Sport Identities
A child who sees themselves as only an athlete is vulnerable to mental health challenges, injury, and difficult transitions. Support their growth as whole humans, through art, music, relationships. These experiences build resilience and self-worth.

11. Cheer for the Positive Sum
A zero-sum mindset (“If their kid makes the team, mine won’t”) distorts community. Let’s shift to a positive-sum view: These are all our kids. When one child thrives, the whole environment improves.

12. Let Sport Grow the Human, Not Just the Player
We often speak about sport as transformational, yet design it to be transactional. If we truly believe in the power of sport to shape lives, we must design and deliver it with care. Focus on process, not just outcome. Value growth, not just results.

At TAP, we believe there’s a better way. A kinder way. A wiser way. One that honours children as full humans. One that creates communities where everyone can thrive. And one that trusts that if we play the long game, we’ll all go further.

🙏 Thank you to Dr. Matt Bowers.
Watch the recording here.


💬 What idea resonated with you most? Are you trying to challenge the system in your own way, as a parent, coach, or athlete? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
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#TrueAthleteProject #YouthSport #SportWithHeart #AthleteDevelopment #LongTermDevelopment #PlayMatters #SportsParenting #CoachingCulture #MindfulnessInSport #TransformationNotTransaction

Mindfulness vs. Meditation: What’s the Difference - and Why Does It Matter in Sport?In the world of performance - especially in sport - the words mindfulness and meditation get thrown around a lot. But they’re not the same thing. Understanding the difference could be the key to unlocking a whole new level of mental strength, both on and off the field.

Meditation Is a Practice
Meditation is a formal practice.
We pause. Sit. Breathe.
We focus the mind and observe the moment.
It’s structured. It’s intentional.
Like strength training - but for your awareness.
Through meditation, we build the muscle of attention.
We learn to watch our thoughts, not be ruled by them.
We learn to return - again and again - to the present moment.

Mindfulness Is a Way of Being
Mindfulness is how we live that awareness.
Moment to moment.
Noticing what’s happening - inside and around us.
Without judging it. Without trying to fix it.
It’s presence, in action.
Not something we do once in a while,
But a way we are, more and more.

One Builds the Other
Meditation helps you slow down.
To notice your thoughts, feelings, and patterns.
To get curious about your experience.
Mindfulness helps you carry that clarity into real life.
Into pressure. Conflict. Decision-making.
Into sport.
One builds the skill.
The other turns it into a trait.
And together, they create space between stimulus and response 
So you can choose how you show up.

Why It Matters in Sport
Mindfulness shows up when it matters most.
In the heat of competition. In a high-pressure moment.
It helps you pause. Notice. Respond - instead of react.
You begin to notice stress and overwhelm
without being controlled by them.
You soften your self-talk. You build resilience.
You widen the gap between fear and focus,
so your best self can step in.

Why It Matters - In Life
​Meditation is the training ground.
Mindfulness is the life you live from it.
You won’t always feel calm.
But you’ll have tools.
You’ll have awareness.
You’ll have choice.
That’s what changes the game.
And that’s what changes you.

Check out our Mindfulness for Sport Online Course delivered by TAP Founder, Sam Parfitt:
https://thetrueathleteproject.thinkific.com/courses/mindfulness-for-sport

​In the latest episode of the AthMindset® Podcast, host Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW, CMPC, concludes our special three-part series with a powerful and heartfelt conversation featuring Reem Abdalazem Bossaty OLY - a two-time Olympian, expert coach, and passionate advocate for holistic athlete development. Reem is also a proud TAP Mentor, deeply aligned with our mission of transforming lives through sport.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about coaching, athlete well-being, and building a more compassionate sports culture.

Reem’s Journey: From Olympian to Impact-Driven Coach

Reem shares her incredible journey from representing Egypt in artistic swimming at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, to becoming an internationally recognized coach who emphasizes “impact over titles.”
Rather than focusing solely on podiums and prestige, Reem’s coaching philosophy centers around:

• Mental well-being
• Resilience
• Empowering athletes to thrive beyond medals

Her transition from athlete to coach was ignited by a powerful mentoring relationship—one that helped her understand the value of creating safe, supportive environments for athletes to grow both in and out of the pool.

Coaching Tips: Reem’s Top 3 Ways to Have a Bigger Impact

Reem’s message to coaches is clear: Your influence is profound. Make it count. Here are her top three tips for making a lasting, positive impact:

1. Know the Athletes You Support“Recognize that each athlete is unique.”
Get to know who your athletes truly are - beyond their performance. Understand their backgrounds, personalities, and goals. Your words and actions shape their self-belief, so be intentional and compassionate in your communication.
2. Always Seek to Become a Better Human “Embrace lifelong learning and a beginner’s mindset.”
Great coaching starts with self-awareness. Reflect on your own coaching approach, seek mentorship, and prioritize your own health and well-being. Stay open to creativity, innovation, and growth.
3. Empower Athlete Autonomy “Create space for athletes to explore their identities.”
Help athletes discover who they are - what drives them, where they struggle, and what they want from their sport. Empowerment begins with trust and the freedom to take ownership of their journey.

🌍 A Global Impact in Artistic SwimmingReem’s coaching credentials are as impressive as her Olympic career. A former collegiate All-American at Lindenwood University, she captained the team to its first national title. She has since:

• Coached the U.S. Senior National Team
• Led South Africa’s duet to the Tokyo Olympics
• Earned USA’s first international Coach of the Year award

Through it all, Reem has stayed true to her values - bringing mindfulness, care, and cultural awareness to every team she supports.

This episode is an enlightening listen for:

• Coaches seeking to grow and lead with empathy
• Athletes navigating their identity and purpose
• Anyone who believes sport can be a tool for transformation

👉 Listen to the full episode of the AthMindset® Podcast here 

🙌 Join the Movement

At The True Athlete Project, we believe sport can and should be a force for good. Reem Abdalazem embodies this belief through her work as a TAP Mentor, and we are grateful to share her story.

Written by: The True Athlete Project Team
Featuring: Lisa Bonta Sumii and Reem Abdalazem Bossaty OLY
Podcast: AthMindset® – Mental Health in Sport

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got involved with TAP?
I'm in my second year as an athlete mentor with TAP's Global Mentoring Program. Before working with TAP, I was a retired professional athlete who had only had a small stint in the world of professional sports.

I struggled with the “go hard, don’t rest” culture. Everyone was expected to be the same. It didn’t work for me , and that ultimately led me to retire before my career had really started.

What came after that?
I went into coaching part-time. And as a coach, I knew that I wanted to treat everyone as unique individuals, with compassion and respect. When I discovered TAP, I was introduced to a whole community who shared the exact same values. It was such a relief to find people who believed in a different kind of sport culture..
​
What’s it been like to be part of the Global Mentoring Program?
Being an athlete mentor has brought me so much more confidence in myself as a leader. And being in this community reignited my drive for sport. It even swayed my decision to go back into rowing professionally, this time with a whole new attitude and with the TAP community behind me for support.

Is there a moment from your time with TAP that really stayed with you?
​
Definitely. One of the standout moments for me was working at the National School Games finals. Not only did I get to meet so many TAP mentors in person, but I also had the chance to mentor the junior para-athletes.

​They had the most beautiful attitude to competition...They really held on to why they train and why they compete in the first place. Their love for the sport, just being there, being with their friends and family, that’s what really mattered to them...
Of course, they wanted to win. But they never let that get in the way of their true values. I’ve held on to that ever since.

If you could go back and speak to your younger self, what would you say?
Just stick to your gut... Just because everyone around you is doing something in a certain way doesn’t mean that it’s right for you... Embrace your differences and be kind to yourself, because you really are not alone.

And finally, what would you say to someone thinking about joining or supporting TAP?
TAP is a beautiful community filled with amazing and inspirational people. If you’re thinking about joining, whether through joining their membership, a donation, or a workshop, you won’t be disappointed.
And it’s not just the community...The resources and the workshops TAP provides have been so incredibly useful for my journey. And my journey is still going...

💬 Inspired by Claire’s story? Explore our Global Mentoring Program or become part of the TAP community here.

We’re thrilled to share that our very own Oz Marginean, Head of Community at The True Athlete Project, recently joined Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW, CMPC, on The AthMindset® Podcast for a powerful and deeply personal conversation.

Oz, who brings a unique blend of experience as a former NCAA Division 1 athlete, professional basketball player, movement coach and now a community leader, is on a mission to transform the sport culture. Her work focuses on weaving mindfulness, movement, and creativity into the fabric of athletic development, creating a more compassionate and holistic approach to sport.

In this inspiring episode, Oz and Lisa explore themes that are often left unspoken in the world of sports:

• The complexities of athlete identity
• The emotional process of transitioning out of sport
• The power of mindfulness to anchor and heal
• The role of playful movement and creativity in development

Oz offers insights not just from her professional lens, but from her own journey, from overcoming performance anxiety, to rediscovering herself beyond basketball, and redefining success on her own terms.

Key Takeaways from the Episode

- Explore your identity beyond sport—even while still playing
Many athletes wait until they retire to explore who they are outside of their sport. Oz encourages starting that process early, which helps make the eventual transition less overwhelming and more fulfilling.
- Performance anxiety and burnout are more common than you think
Oz opens up about her own struggles with anxiety and the pressures of being “on” all the time. These are not weaknesses, but invitations to reflect and reset.
- Mindfulness and playful movement are powerful tools
Learning to connect to the body through awareness and curiosity enhances not just performance, but presence and joy—on and off the field.
- Creativity fuels holistic well-being
When athletes tap into creative practices, they gain new ways of expressing themselves and processing experiences. It’s about more than just sport—it’s about wholeness.
- Relationships beyond the athletic bubble are essential
Cultivating friendships and support systems outside of sport builds a stronger, more rounded sense of self.
- Start the transition while you're still playing
Oz encourages athletes to explore their values, passions, and relationships before they leave sport. Doing this helps create a more grounded and purpose-filled life after athletics.
​
This episode is part of a special 3-part series. Stay tuned for upcoming conversations with Sam Parfitt and Reem Abdalazem Bossaty OLY as we continue to explore the inner life of athletes and the future of sport culture.

Check out Oz´s IG for movement ideas and tools:
​https://www.instagram.com/oz.marginean/

As a former professional rugby 7s player, I’ve spent much of my life in high-performance environments—pushing limits, chasing results, and managing the relentless pressure that comes with elite sport. But over the past two years, my experience with The True Athlete Project (TAP) has offered something different—something deeper.

A Rounded Human Experience

My journey with TAP so far has been a truly rounded human experience. It’s required self-reflection. It’s been very challenging. But most of all, I’ve really enjoyed being part of an aligned community looking to develop themselves, but ultimately to give back to aspiring young athletes and help them on their own journey of growth and discovery.

The Power of Community & Vulnerability

There’ve been many key moments in this TAP journey that stick out for me, but the ones that are the most valuable are the workshops. They’re a coming together of people, sharing experiences, being vulnerable, and just being open to learn.

Why Mindfulness in Sport Matters

TAP so far is a very important experience for me. Exploring mindfulness for me is an incredibly powerful approach to sports.
With all the pressures and scrutiny that sportspeople face, having this greater awareness of our position in the world, the impact we have through sport… I think really helps bridge the gap between high performance and being our best selves. It helps us fulfil our potential and be able to thrive as human beings, not just performers, but people.

A Message to Young Athletes

For any young athlete considering joining the TAP journey, I say: absolutely go for it.
You will come out a different person than when you go in. It’s a safe space, free of judgment. But most importantly, you become part of this amazing community that’s looking to drive forward a different approach to sport—leading with care, compassion, and attention to the person.
So you can thrive on the pitch as a performer, and fulfil your potential as a human being.
Sport is all about shared experiences, with your teammates, with your fans, with friends, and with family of course.
So for me, being able to mentor with TAP and give back to these young aspiring athletes is incredibly rewarding. I love being part of their journey, seeing their own development, and having those breakthrough moments, where you and they realise the power that they have within them.
​
Learn more about TAP´s Mentoring Programs:
https://www.thetrueathleteproject.org/mentoring.html
#MindfulSport #Mentorship #AthleteDevelopment #TrueAthleteProject #PerformanceAndWellbeing #TAPJourney

🎙️ “This idea of doing these types of practices in a dynamic sporting setting that's normally about the competition and noisy... I had like maybe eight kids come up to me for mental health support conversations. They'd never seen that before at a training camp. There was just something that it unlocked in the athlete's idea of what the space was about. It's about all of me.” – Sam Parfitt

What if sport was designed to develop both performance and well-being?

On the latest episode of AthMindset®, TAP Founder & CEO Sam Parfitt shares how sport can be a vehicle for compassion, resilience, and holistic development—not just results.

Key Takeaways:

- Athletes are humans first, not just performers. Too often, sports culture prioritizes winning at the cost of an athlete’s well-being. A healthy training environment recognizes that emotions, mental health, and personal growth are just as important as physical performance.
- Mindfulness is a practical tool for focus, well-being, and resilience. Athletes are constantly managing pressure, uncertainty, and competition. Mindfulness provides tangible strategies to stay present, regulate emotions, and handle challenges with clarity—helping both performance and long-term mental health.
- Compassion and discipline are not opposites; they enhance each other. Some believe that pushing harder and ignoring emotions leads to success, but in reality, a balance of self-compassion and grit produces more resilient and motivated athletes. When athletes feel safe and supported, they are more likely to test their limits in a sustainable way.
- The best sports cultures don’t just produce great athletes, they nurture great humans. TAP’s approach is about shifting the paradigm: Instead of seeing athletes solely as competitors, we recognize their full humanity. Through connection, creativity, and self-awareness, sport can be a space for both personal and athletic transformation. Simply creating space for openness changes the environment.

Imagine the impact if this approach was the norm.

🎧 Listen to Sam’s conversation on Athlete Mindset:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytj2wl5MXb0​

​Can you share a little about your journey as a mentor so far? What have been some key moments?

My journey as a mentor has been deeply personal and rewarding. Coming from a background as a student-athlete, I have experienced first-hand the pressures of balancing sport, academics, and personal life. Being part of TAP’s mentoring programme has allowed me to give back in a meaningful way. One key moment is seeing my mentee gaining confidence in speaking about their struggles and realising they weren’t alone. Another was when my mentee told me they took action on something we discussed, such as setting priorities in order to improve time management. Those moments remind me why this work matters, and I am excited to continue to experience more of these moments and grow alongside my mentee.

2. Why do you think mentoring is so crucial, especially in the world of sport?

Athletes often navigate high-pressure environments where vulnerability isn’t always encouraged. Mentoring creates a safe space where they can talk openly about challenges, from performance anxiety to identity struggles. It also helps them develop skills beyond sport - resilience, confidence, and emotional intelligence. Having someone who understands the journey can make all the difference in an athlete’s ability to thrive both on and off the field.

3. How do you see the intersection of mindfulness, well-being, and athletic performance in TAP’s mentoring programme? Why is this approach so impactful for athletes?

Mindfulness and well-being aren’t just add-ons to athletic performance, they are fundamental to success. TAP’s approach recognises that an athlete’s mental state directly affects their game. When athletes learn to manage stress, stay present, and take care of their overall well-being, they perform better and recover more effectively. This holistic approach empowers them to develop long-term habits that sustain both their mental health and athletic careers.

4. What would you say to a young athlete thinking about joining the Global Athlete Mentoring Programme?

I’d say, go for it. This programme isn’t just about improving as an athlete; it’s about growing as a person. You’ll gain a mentor who truly understands your experiences, and you’ll be part of a supportive community that prioritises both performance and well-being. The lessons you’ll take away - whether about mental resilience, identity, or personal growth - will serve you well far beyond your sport.
​
Apply here for our Americas Mentoring Cohort starting this August:
https://www.thetrueathleteproject.org/apply-839194.html
Register your interest for the Global Mentoring Programme:
https://www.thetrueathleteproject.org/apply.html

​My Journey as a Mentor

Hello, my name is Brian Bell. I’m a three-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball, and this is my very first year with the TAP (True Athlete Project) mentoring programme.
So far, it’s been an incredible journey. I’ve had the chance to meet my mentee and really dive into the unique experiences and challenges they’re navigating. In today’s world—especially with the influence of social media—it feels important to give back. Sharing my insights and experiences has been incredibly fulfilling.
What makes this experience even more special is that my mentee is also a basketball player. That shared background has allowed us to really connect on a deeper level. I understand the pressure, the grind, and the passion because I’ve lived it too. And now I get to be a part of someone else’s journey, helping them through the same hoops I once jumped through.

Why Mentoring is Crucial in Sports

Mentoring is a powerful resource, one I believe more athletes should take advantage of.
There’s something incredibly valuable about learning directly from someone who’s been in your shoes. You get to hear their stories, understand their decisions, and see how they overcame obstacles. For mentees, it’s an opportunity to avoid the mistakes we, as mentors, may have made at their age. It gives them a chance to leap forward with insight and clarity.
When you have access to that kind of experience, it’s a game-changer for your athletic journey.

The TAP Mentoring Program: Mindfulness and Wellbeing

One of the standout aspects of TAP is how it brings together mindfulness, wellbeing, and athletic performance.
Today, mental health is finally getting the attention it deserves in the world of sport. This programme understands that peak performance isn't just about physical training, it’s also about being mentally and emotionally prepared.
TAP gives both mentors and mentees tools to explore these areas, which in turn, supports better performance and a more grounded approach to competition. Athletes who are mentally sound and equipped with practical tools are more tuned in and able to perform at their best. It’s been a huge eye-opener to see how this holistic approach enhances not only athletic success, but personal growth as well.

A Message to Future Mentees

To all the young athletes out there: don’t be afraid to fail.
You’re going to face moments where you feel like you’ve done everything right, but the result doesn’t reflect that. That’s okay. Progress isn’t always linear.
The key is to stick with it. Keep doing the things that got you where you are, and never stop learning. Get feedback, whether it’s from coaches, mentors, or teammates, and absorb it like a sponge.
Keep grinding. Keep working. The results will come if you stay consistent, curious, and open to growth.
Your goals are within reach, just keep going.

#Mentorship#AthleteDevelopment#MindfulnessInSport#Paralympics #TrueAthleteProject #BrianBell #Wellbeing #SportsPerformance

Learn more about our mentoring programs and apply here:
https://www.thetrueathleteproject.org/mentoring.html

Hi, I’m Milka Kraljev, and I’d love to share a bit about my journey as a mentor and why I believe mentoring is so essential in sports.

My Journey as a Mentor

My journey as a mentor has been incredibly rewarding. Having spent so many years as a high-performance athlete, I’ve experienced first-hand the challenges, doubts, and high-pressure moments that athletes face. These moments are not easy to navigate, and that's where mentoring plays a pivotal role.
As a mentor, I’m passionate about supporting other athletes in their growth. Helping them build confidence, manage their emotions, and find clarity in their journey is something I truly believe in. One of the most powerful moments for me as a mentor was hearing an athlete speak with the same passion about her sport that I once had. It was a reminder of the transformative power of sport and how that spark of passion can instill confidence in an athlete, enabling them to believe they can change their world through sport.

Why Mentoring is Crucial in Sports

Sports are so much more than just training and competing. They are a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and constant growth. While the physical aspect of sport is crucial, the mental and emotional side is just as important. Having a mentor can make all the difference in an athlete's development. It’s the difference between facing challenges alone and having someone to guide you, listen to you, and help you see the bigger picture.
A mentor’s role extends beyond just helping with athletic skills. It’s about fostering personal and professional growth—navigating the pressures, setbacks, and high points that come with pursuing a career in sports.

The TAP Mentoring Program: Focused on More than Just Medals

At TAP’s mentoring program, we believe that an athlete’s success isn’t measured solely by medals or results. It’s about overall well-being. Our unique approach combines mindfulness, well-being, and performance. We focus on helping athletes not only improve in their sport but also learn to manage pressure, recover more effectively, and maintain balance in their lives.
When athletes feel good within themselves, they perform better—physically, mentally, and emotionally. It's about creating a holistic support system that allows athletes to thrive both on and off the field.

A Message to Future Mentees

If you’re considering joining the Global Athlete Mentoring Program, I’d say: Go for it. This program offers a unique opportunity to grow, learn, and connect with people who truly understand your journey. You’re not alone in this, and a mentor can provide the support you need to discover your true potential and find clarity in every step of your career.
Mentoring can help you navigate the complexities of your athletic path, develop resilience, and ultimately, achieve the success you desire. Take the leap—you won’t regret it!

Join Us If you're ready to take the next step in your athletic and personal journey.
Applications are now open for the Americas Cohort of the Global Athlete Mentoring.
Apply here: https://www.thetrueathleteproject.org/apply-839194.html

#MentoringInSports #GlobalAthleteMentoring #AthleteWellbeing #SportsMentoring #MindfulnessInSports #PerformanceAndWellbeing #AthleteSupport

Athletes as Earth advocates

Speaking out for the preservation of the natural world is certain to look and feel unfamiliar to many of us, but in fact, coaches and athletes are ideally suited to speak on matters of the biosphere, the planet and nature. We have credibility on this matter; we understand that our health and performance ultimately comes from our ancestry and our habitat: the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat all comes from the land, the earth.

​We understand that without a functional habitat and biosphere, there can be no health, no athletic performance, and no glory. As today’s climate activists might well put it “There can be no championships on a dead planet.”  Speaking out for nature is a matter of social and ecological responsibility to be sure, but even more, it’s also a powerful way to live and train. Not only does the natural world sustain us, it also provides an enormous source of physical and psycho-spiritual energy that can make us better at what we do. Nature, we might say, is a super-power. When we identify with the living world, we become stronger and more resilient in everything we do, including our athletic performance. To put it another way, identifying with and speaking out in support of the natural world isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also the smart thing to do. 

Preview of our September workshop

All of which leads to our upcoming TAP online workshop, September 5. We’ll open with some light movement and meditation, then we’ll explore the big picture ideas that shape our bodies and our practice, including… 

• the state of the human animal 
• historical challenges to the body and health, 
• culture and cognition
• neuroscience and training 
• stress education
• how to show up in the modern world 

I hope you can join us. 
​REGISTRATION LINK

Frank Forencich, 
https://humananimal.earth/​
​

Presence.

When I first thought about leaving professional tennis, I had a flood of emotions: fear, doubt, joy, excitement, anxiety, sadness, gratitude, confusion, and probably everything in between. These were tough to deal with, especially given how much I had trained as an athlete to regulate my emotions when I needed to perform. I found it difficult to stay present.

Something I love about TAP is that mindfulness is a cornerstone. Early in the year, all mentors and mentees went through a five-part TAP mindfulness series, and from this, I have been able to re-establish a daily mindfulness routine. As mindfulness was a consistent part of my old training routines, the program has reminded me of how useful these practices can be in everyday life, and especially for me now during this period of transition. Maintaining awareness of the present moment… observing thoughts without getting entangled in them… remembering self-compassion… these have all been helpful tools in dealing with various ups and downs.

Connection.

I think the process of retiring from professional sport is a unique experience and can at times be hard to describe. It is a major adjustment: mentally, physically, emotionally and more. I am deeply grateful for those around me, particularly my family and friends, whose love and encouragement has made this a relatively smooth transition and whose unwavering support has always given me the courage to chase after my dreams. These relationships are ones I do not take for granted. With that said, there have certainly been times when I have found the retirement process, and all the emotions that have come with it, to feel a bit lonely. I imagine this is probably the case with most significant life changes.
TAP has been a strong source of connection for me, particularly among the other mentors, and it has offered an environment that feels free of judgment, yet full of understanding. Several of the other mentors have already retired from their sport, several are still competing, and some are even considering retirement in the near future. While none of our experiences have been or will be the same, I think there is a sort of mutual understanding that is unique and a certain safety to be felt in being surrounded by people who can relate in such a similar way. This source of connection has helped me to be more vulnerable, to connect more deeply with others, and to more intentionally connect with myself.

Perspective.

​I knew that I wanted to stay involved in sports to some degree after I stopped competing, but I was not entirely sure in what capacity. To be honest, I think this is still something I am figuring out. But the TAP Global Mentoring Program has allowed me to engage with a wide-reaching sports community in a way that I really appreciate. On one end of the spectrum, I have enjoyed interacting with so many young athlete mentees during various group workshops, and I feel a strong sense of purpose in working to develop my skills as a mentor in order to better support my mentee. Engaging with young athletes in the early stages of their athletic careers has offered a perspective that is both energizing and inspiring.
On the other end of the spectrum, I have enjoyed engaging with the other mentors, some of whom are in the latter stages of their sporting careers, but many of whom have embraced and excelled in new chapters of their lives while still remaining connected to sport. Going through the mentor workshops together offers great perspective, as the topics and skills that we focus on are applicable both within and beyond sport. Importantly, throughout the program, I am constantly reminded through readings, reflections and discussions that the athlete mindset is always a part of us. And that the lessons we learn, the skills we develop, and the impact we have on the world around us lasts well beyond our sporting careers.
​
Going into the latter half of this year, I feel a lot of excitement about the opportunities that lie ahead. I am grateful for all that the TAP experience has given me thus far – the relationships it has brought me, the space it has given me to reflect, and the ways it has helped me to grow. I look forward to continuing to explore what the program has to offer, and I look forward to all that is to come in this next chapter of life.

An athlete’s success is traditionally defined by winning, but what if that success also meant victories for justice?
 
Over the past weeks, sportspeople have increasingly used their platforms to speak out and show support for the Black Lives Matter movement and spark conversations about race. It is a time for everyone to reconsider race and anti-racism and is especially important for The True Athlete Project (TAP) as we aim to nurture “humanitarian-athletes” who use their platform for good.
 
We believe that “a true athlete is someone who develops mind and body to help others, and make the world a better place.” However, we are aware that systemic discrimination can affect who takes part in sport, their experience of sport, and the level at which they can play. We are also aware of the lack of diversity in sport administration and the charity sector. There is a long way to go.
 
Levelling the Playing Field 
As an international organisation founded on a deeply-held belief that “changing the world” is possible, we believe there is a significant need for initiatives which intentionally cultivate compassion and promote a more socially-conscious approach to sport. In a recent project, we helped a community sports centre in Edinburgh develop a “diversity dashboard;” the staff now report to their board every quarter on diversity and inclusion, just as they would report on finances. On our mentoring programs, young athletes work with their mentors to educate themselves on social issues and take concrete steps that aim to make a difference.

We want to ensure diversity, equity and advocacy are at the forefront of our conversations and programming. We aim to do this by:
 

1. Listening and learning over the coming weeks and months. We are engaging with BAME (black, asian and minority ethnic) members of our team (including board members, mentors, and mentees) as well as other stakeholders in our sector through initiatives such as Sport England's Inclusion and Wellbeing seminars to understand where and how we can be better. 
2. Identifying actions: At this month's board meeting, we will propose a Diversity & Inclusion sub-committee which will be tasked with auditing the inclusivity and diversity of our programming and operations, and recommending specific actions that TAP can take.
3. Challenging ourselves and others: We want to be part of the change and work toward ending racial discrimination, and we ask you to commit to the same. 
4. Amplify the voices of people in our network speaking about anti-racism. 

 
We realise this is a continuous process and we take these immediate steps with open hearts, humility and optimism. 
 
We have identified resources you may find helpful, including how to be an ally, reading lists and these books for children and would welcome additional recommendations to share with our team or programme participants.
 
How We See Change
TAP was founded by a group of athletes, mindfulness teachers, clinical psychologists and social justice advocates who re-imagined athlete development. We believed it should include deep, emotional work that can not only aid sporting performance, but can also nurture mental wellbeing, and help cultivate a more compassionate society. We have been inspired by humanitarian-athletes like Maya Moore, Arthur Ashe, and Muhammad Ali, who passionately fought for social justice and recognised their athletic achievements represented something far greater than sport. 
 
As leaders in bringing mindfulness to sport, we are aware of our responsibility to listen, reflect, act from a place of kindness, and help others to do the same. This will involve the discipline, passion and vulnerability that we have honed through sport. 

Justice through sport will be the greatest victory athletes can achieve, and we are excited to play our part.​

So here is the contradiction laid bare: everyone wants to be courageous but no one wants to be vulnerable. One does not come without the other, so athletes who want to reach their potential and meet pressure with courage must be prepared to seek out and embrace moments of vulnerability.

Without an understanding of the reality of vulnerability and courage, an athlete will forever be at the mercy of their changing mood and state of mind. Sometimes they will feel confident and able to risk more, and sometimes their ego will recoil from exposure and require greater self-protection. It might seem strange but we should be teaching young athletes how to be courageous. They must understand that it’s not a question about being brave or afraid but that bravery is about feeling afraid, accepting that feeling and moving forward anyway.
 
We need to build awareness around feeling uncomfortable during a performance. Everyone has heard the message about “getting out of your comfort zone” in order to make gains and develop; feeling uncomfortable in a situation is also a prerequisite for being courageous. We can aim to train an action trigger in athletes around that feeling of discomfort. So when the ego has noticed that there is a lot at stake and wants to put up a protective barrier, such as withholding effort, the athlete would instead be cued to see it as an opportunity for courage and step up their efforts. All too often this moment of discomfort goes unnoticed for what it truly is – an essential milestone for peak performance – and the reaction is hijacked by unwanted subconscious forces.
 
Embracing vulnerability offers profound benefits beyond sporting performance, too. Brené Brown identifies vulnerability as the foundation of empathy, creativity, belonging and love. Certainly, if you cannot open yourself up to others, then love and belonging will elude you, and if you are not willing to risk failing then there is no hope of innovation or creativity.
 
As Brown puts it, "If we want greater clarity in our purpose, or deeper and more meaningful lives, vulnerability is the path."
 
When asked to finish the sentence "vulnerability is…", people tend to expose how critical the concept is. How central it is to our so many of our most valuable emotions. Here are some classic responses:
 
Vulnerability is…
 
●      Standing up for myself
●      Trying something new
●      Asking for help
●      Saying no
●      Starting my own business
●      Sharing something I wrote publicly
●      Falling in love
●      Saying "I love you" first
●      Being accountable
●      Asking for forgiveness
●      Helping my wife with terminal cancer write her Will
 
These responses could just as well be examples of courage. They show that vulnerability is implicit in taking responsibility, being honest, opening yourself up for great potential loss or gain, showing humanity. If the armour is up and you are protecting yourself from that uncomfortable, vulnerable feeling then all of this is off the table to you.
 
Vulnerability is an area we all could benefit from understanding a little better. If we did, we could make far more of our individual and shared potential.

By Laurence Halsted, former Olympic fencer, current Performance Director at Danish Fencing, and Co-Director of The True Athlete Project's Mentoring Program.
(Read Part 1 and Part 3 of Laurence's 3-Part Series)

This article is the second in a three-part series about the role of self-compassion in sport. I would recommend that you start with the first article, Self-compassion for Athletes, which describes how self-compassion is a highly effective yet underused mental tool for athletes, to enhance both performance and general well-being.
 
This article will address the most common misconceptions about self-compassion, which may arise especially in the mind of an athlete or coach encountering the concept for the fist time. This debunking exercise is an important step which will pave the way to wider-spread adoption of self-compassion as an important trait for athletes to adopt.  
 
Let’s start with a short definition of what self-compassion is.
 
Self-compassion is being open to and aware of one’s own suffering with a desire to alleviate that suffering through warmth, forgiveness and kindness. It involves a non-judgemental understanding of one’s own pain, mistakes and failures, and that sees these experiences from the perspective of being a normal part of the human experience. According to Kristin Neff (2009) high levels of self-compassion are linked with increased feelings of happiness, optimism, curiosity and connectedness as well as decreased anxiety, depression, rumination and fear of failure.
 
Having read the description above, you might already be forming your own opinion on the value that this kind of approach could have within sport performance and culture. If you haven’t explored the idea of self-compassion before it’s quite likely that one of the following misconceptions form part of your immediate position.
 
•   Self-compassion is soft.
•   Self-compassion undermines motivation to work hard and keep improving.
•   Self-compassion is self-indulgent.
•   Self-compassion is narcissistic or too self-centred.
•   It is self-esteem our athletes need, not self-compassion.
 
Misconceiving self-compassion in this way is fully understandable because our culture of sport has long propagated a directly opposing attitude; that an athlete must suffer after mistakes or losses to show that they truly care, and that coaches must be severe and unforgiving in order to get results. Sport culture does not always openly encourage these perspectives, but it certainly has not done much, and definitely not enough, to disabuse people of them.
 
Do you recognise any of the following misconceptions?
 
Self-compassion is soft. It’s mainly for hippies, yoga instructors and Buddhists, not for people who are trying to make it in the tough, real world of sport.
 
In fact, researchers are finding out that self-compassion helps people to cope and be more resilient at emotionally difficult times. One study gave an indication that lower levels of self-compassion in war veterans were a better predictor of symptoms of PTSD than levels of combat exposure. Similarly, higher scores on the Self-Compassion scale have been associated with healthier physiological responses to stress.
It’s not hard to imagine the kind of inner strength that can come from embracing a solid foundation of acceptance and kindness combined with an understanding that to struggle and fail is an inherent part of the human condition.
 
It would undermine motivation to work hard and keep improving. If you are fully accepting of who you are now then you won’t be motivated to develop and change.
 
The weight of research has shown the exact opposite; that the motivation derived from a base of self-compassion is just as effective and indeed much healthier than a motivation based on self-criticism and dissatisfaction with the current state. As was pointed out in the previous article the self-critical approach to motivation derives its power from a desire to avoid the backlash that comes from failure, essentially from fear. Self-compassion takes away that fear and replaces it with a desire to drive toward self-improvement simply because we care about being the best version of ourselves. This is the classic Hollywood battle of Love vs Fear; both sides can muster great power but there is only one side you would ever want to be on, and for sure only one side we would ever want to lead our young athletes into.
 
Self-compassionate people have been shown to have less fear of failure and also when they do fail are more likely to try again. Since these people are more able to admit their own mistakes and inadequacies, they are better able to embrace accountability for their actions and own the responsibility for making the necessary changes. This is precisely the kind of mindset we want to instil in young athletes, so it’s about time we adopted a more enlightened approach to training them for this outcome.
 
As the final nail in this argument, Neff and her colleagues also found that self-compassion was positively associated with mastery focussed goals and negatively associated to result focussed goals. In sport we always highlight the importance of focus on the process, not the result. It is clear that self-compassion is highly aligned with, and supportive of that message.
 
Self-compassion is self-indulgent. An athlete who feels compassion for herself will be more likely to indulge in unhealthy behaviours and less likely to practice discipline.
 
This is a fundamental misunderstanding of terms.

Self-indulgence is all about having what you want now regardless of the long-term consequences. Self-compassion is about alleviating suffering, not just in the short-term but ongoing. Well-being often requires foregoing pleasure in the present in order to benefit the future self, as in activities such as exercise and healthy eating. So a self-compassionate person would more likely avoid the indulgent behaviours in order to improve their overall, long-term well-being.
A compassionate coach would not allow their athletes to skip training and eat whatever they liked. A compassionate coach would encourage hard work and discipline since they will more likely lead to the players becoming better people and athletes.

It is therefore not strange that research shows that self-compassion is linked with healthier living, including quitting smoking and reduced alcohol intake. Women who exhibit self-compassion have been shown to be more intrinsically motivated to exercise, and that their motivation stems more from health than ego concerns.
 
Self-compassion is narcissistic or too self-centred. Self-compassion puts the self first, so the self-compassionate person will probably be a bad teammate.
 
On the contrary, self-compassion is not concerned with positive evaluations of one’s own abilities or qualities. It only comes into play at times of pain or suffering. In fact, the self-compassionate person is far more likely to recognise their similarity to all other members of the human species than they are to vainly highlight the ways they are different or better than others. If anything, this recognition of our common humanity naturally leads us to adopt a humbler attitude to life.

Furthermore, becoming more self-compassionate has the valuable effect of also making us more outwardly compassionate. Bringing a positive energy to our own inner world means less stress and anxiety and more energetic space, awareness and empathy for others who are suffering. Just as Gandhi said- “Be the change you want to see in the world”. If we want to bring more warmth and kindness to our interaction with the outer world, we must start by bringing it to the inner one first. This interplay of compassions has important and far reaching implications for our wider sport culture, which I will focus on in the next article, A more compassionate culture of sport.
 
It is self-esteem our athletes need, not self-compassion. People with good self-esteem are happier — they love their bodies and believe in themselves. Self-esteem is like self-compassion, but better. 
 
It is relevant here to address the similarities and differences between self-compassion and self-esteem. Self-esteem has historically been synonymous with mental well-being, and in fact is associated with happiness and life satisfaction as well as less anxiety and depression, but the issues arise not so much with having self-esteem but in getting and maintaining it.

Overall self-esteem is often associated with qualities or results such as physical appearance, athletic or work performance or popularity. This type of self-esteem can be transient and unstable, only reflecting the latest success or failure, rather than being rooted in a deep sense of identity and self-worth.

Self-esteem has also been associated with the self enhancement bias, where people rate themselves to be better than others on scales such as physical appearance, intelligence or popularity, in order to feel good about themselves. This tendency to create self-worth by highlighting our superiority over others, often deludedly, creates a separation between us and leads to a lesser feeling of connectedness. It is no surprise then that self-esteem is strongly linked to narcissism. Narcissists have puffed-up, unrealistic image of themselves which gives them a feeling of entitlement and also makes them react badly when their egos are challenged. Narcissism is therefore clearly at odds with the kind of honest self-assessment that is required for athletic development.

It should be pointed out that it is possible to have self-esteem which is non-egoistic, non-narcissistic, stable and healthy but it is not yet clear what are the causes of this type of self-esteem vs the less healthy type.
 
Kristin Neff (2011) argues that self-compassion offers many of the same benefits as self-esteem but without any of the potential downsides.

Both offer a sense of self-worth, which is vital for thriving in life and in sporting endeavour, but self-compassion offers it from a place of acceptance and security whereas self-esteem harnesses feelings of superiority and achievement.
In the volatile and unpredictable world of competitive sport it would be highly beneficial to base one’s sense of self-worth on something more stable than performance comparisons with others and achievement. Self-compassion offers just that.
 
The Role of Self-Compassion in Development: a Healthier Way to Relate to Oneself, 2009, Kristin Neff
http://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/human-development.pdf
 
Self-Compassion, Self-Esteem and Well-Being, 2011, Kristin Neff
http://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/SC.SE_.Well-being.pdf
 
Self-Compassion Versus Global Self-Esteem: Two Different Ways of Relating to Oneself, 2009, Neff & Vonk.
http://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/NeffVonk.pdf
 
 
Get In Touch!
If you are an elite or former elite athlete and find resonance with this type of self-compassionate approach in your sporting experience, I would love to hear from you about your experience. Please contact me at:
[email protected]

By Laurence Halsted, former Olympic fencer, current Performance Director at Danish Fencing, and Co-Director of The True Athlete Project's Mentoring Program.
(Read Part 2 and Part 3 of Laurence's 3-Part Series)

Self-compassion training would help athletes focus better on their performance, gain a healthier relationship to their sport and improve their general well-being. If we trained all our athletes in self-compassion, we would have a generation of much more balanced and outwardly compassionate people who were motivated more for the love of self-improvement rather than fear of self-criticism.
 
If you work on the ground level with competitive athletes you will probably experience that one of the most common mental issues, from youth levels all the way up to senior elite, is the harmful effect of negative emotions that arise from mistakes, disappointments or frustration about performances.

Athletes all too commonly beat themselves up for making mistakes or disappointing results, and that in turn takes a psychological toll, potentially affecting following performances. They also tend to be their own worst critics, much harsher on themselves than they would be to a teammate in the same position. Athletes think that they need to feel this way, that their capacity to criticise themselves is an integral part of why they are successful at their sport. They rationalise that it forces them to work harder because they ‘hate losing so much’ and they can’t be satisfied with anything less than perfect. Underneath this rationalisation is the worry that if they didn’t feel awful after making mistakes or losing, that would mean they don’t care enough to perform well. I should know, having had that exact mindset for much of my sports career. I used to take losing deeply to heart. At the same time I almost welcomed the pain, because it showed how much I cared and how much I wanted to be better.
 
This mindset is often accepted and even appreciated in sport culture- the consummate professional athlete, always striving, never satisfied, unaccepting of anything less than perfect. But it is based on a fallacy, and one that is creating a huge amount of damage to individual athletes’ well-being and to their performances and on top of that is limiting sport from reaching its true potential in the world.
 
The power of those negative emotions can be motivating, but it is a motivation based on fear and a desire to avoid the inevitable backlash and self-judgement that comes from failure. It is far more often distracting from the process of performance than it is beneficial. If we truly want our athletes to be able to stay focused and calm under pressure then it doesn’t make sense that we allow them to continue to beat themselves up if things don’t go well.
 
Some athletes can train themselves to master that fear and go on to great things, but vastly more will quit or burnout early in their careers because the mental-emotional toll is just too great. The fact that those people do not want to put up with such consistent and negative self-judgement should not mean that they must leave competitive sport for good. Especially because there is a better path to follow, one that can make for a much healthier relationship between an athlete and their own performance and that can also lead to improve the performance itself. I am grateful to have been shown this alternate path whilst still in the throes of my own athletic career, and I can testify to the vast improvement that comes with it, both as an athlete and as a person.
 
The basis of this approach is in training self-compassion, to be used at moments of suffering such as there are many in competitive sport. At its heart, self-compassion is about treating yourself with the same kindness that you would a close friend, to be forgiving, understanding and sympathetic, and to recognise that inadequacy and making mistakes is part of the human condition. It would be like having an inner dialogue that resembles a combination of a kindly coach and your closest teammate. They would be endlessly encouraging and forgiving, because they want you to do your best but they don’t want you to suffer needlessly. Of course, you don’t deserve to suffer simply for missing a shot or losing a match. For many athletes it’s easy to play the forgiving teammate role, because deep down they know that’s how they will get the best from their teammate, but it becomes much harder to play that role for themselves. This holds true for much of the general population, especially in the west, where kindness to friends, family or neighbours is highly valued but kindness to oneself is perceived as selfish, narcissistic or too soft.
 
Self-Compassion as a trait has been shown to pay off dividends in terms of psychological well-being and it is ideally suited to creating a healthier sport culture whilst helping athletes perform better at the same time. Research into self-compassion gained momentum around 2004, with researchers describing it as being made up of three parts which combine to make for a more balanced, healthy approach to life’s struggles. These three parts are:
 
Self-kindness- Essentially treating yourself as you would a good friend. Instead of having a critical or disparaging inner dialogue, we offer ourselves warmth and acceptance.
 
Common Humanity- Recognising that mistakes and inadequacy are common to all human beings. We are all flawed in our own ways but often when considering our own shortcomings and struggles we tend to feel isolated whilst thinking that everyone else is doing just fine. It’s much more comforting, and logical to recognise that everyone is in the same boat, and that life’s challenges and personal failures are all part of what it means to be human.
 
Mindfulness- This is about being aware in the present moment, with balance and without judgement of what is happening in your mind. Mindfulness is essential to self-compassion because you must first become aware that you are suffering in order to help yourself. A key part of mindfulness is not to be swept away by your thoughts and emotions but to simply notice them. When you over-identify with a thought or emotion it goes without saying that you are not in a balanced place from which to consider how you want to react to it, you are not mindful but instead are caught up in your minds’ tumult.
 
Let’s consider these concepts and explore how they relate back to sport.
 
Self-kindness
Self-kindness has such powerful implications for athletes, but at the same time is almost an alien concept to many. I would even go as far as saying that self-kindness is one of the most under-rated mental tools available to athletes. Sport culture teaches all too often that it’s good to be hard on yourself, to be self-critical to the extreme until you have reached your goals. What follows from that logic is that self-kindness, forgiveness, acceptance will undermine your motivation to reach your goals. I will go into more detail about the myths and misunderstandings around self-compassion in the second article in this series, but for now I will point out the glaring reality that seems to be hidden from view to many.
 
When self-criticism does succeed to motivate, it is born from a desire to avoid the harsh self-judgement that follows an unsatisfactory performance. Essentially it is born from fear. But when we fear the consequences of failure we inhibit our ability to push our limits, take risks and even our willingness to try in the first place.

Using self-kindness to eliminate those fears, gives us motivation simply and powerfully, because we care. We want the best for ourselves, to be our best selves, and to do things that will make us happier, better people such as taking on challenges and learning new skills. This is motivation born from love.

Research has shown that people who are kinder to themselves have less fear of failure, and when they do fail are more likely to try again. This would make sense because self-compassion requires that we be aware of our weaknesses but without attaching judgement, which provides a solid, positive foundation to work to improve on them.

To conceptualise these two different approaches, you can call to mind two different coaches. One is ruthlessly critical when their athletes or team messes up, puts them down and constantly highlights their failings. The other is the compassionate coach, who reassures their players that it is human to make mistakes, keeps the focus on how they can improve on their weaknesses, and gives them the support to work on those goals without fear of reproach. Now think about which coach will most likely get the most out of their players and equally importantly which coach athletes would most want to work with.
 
It is the compassionate coach’s voice that we want to implant into the minds of our athletes, to give them a healthy and stable psychological foundation from which to build. This would also have significant knock-on effects for the culture of sport, stemming from the wisdom and generosity of compassion training, which I will arrive at in article three of the series.
 
Common Humanity
Gaining a greater sense of common humanity brings with it a broader perspective which helps to put a sport performance in a more appropriate context. Athletes under pressure can get trapped in a mindset that feels like the whole world hangs in the balance: often described as catastrophic thinking. All sport is a game, and though there can be lots of money involved and it is a livelihood for many, it’s vitally important, for performance and general well-being to be able to keep things in a healthy perspective. The idea that ‘we are all in the same boat, battling the waves of human existence together’ is much more comforting and motivating than thinking we are each an island with our own, unique troubles.
 
Creating more awareness of our common experience can also help athletes develop respect for their teammates and competitors. Far preferable to the old adage of ‘us against them’ is the idea that we com-pete, i.e. strive together, and push each other to be the best we can be.

A great example of this type of approach is in the story of a Taekwondo coach I know, who, at the top of his game, lost a close fight to a rival in a world championships. In the embrace afterwards, his opponent told him ‘thank you for giving me this opportunity’. This fighter understood that to achieve his own potential he needed someone equally strong to push him to achieve it.
 
Mindfulness
Mindfulness has been used by elite athletes for over 40 years to gain more control over their minds and therefore their reactions at emotionally charged moments. Mindfulness training is particularly effective for creating calmness in times of need and for detaching from the power of negative or distracting emotions. It is also increasingly being recognised for its connection to the experience of flow or being in the zone, as both require an all-encompassing present-focus. Thousands of years of experience has shown us very clearly that you can indeed train your brain to be more present and aware, and the implications of this for sport performance are enormous.

Considering the vital role of mindfulness in enhancing self-compassion on top of the benefits above, it is a wonder that it is not already a more established part of athlete development culture.
 
I am sure that many of you reading right now are of the opinion that this all sounds nice, but it’s missing the cutting edge that athletes need to succeed. Self-compassion is clearly a good thing to strive for, but its place is in Buddhist retreats rather than elite training camps.
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These are among the most common misunderstandings surrounding self-compassion that I will address in the next article in this mini-series. In the west we are much more familiar with the importance of being kind to others than we are with being kind to ourselves. It’s important, then, to get to grips with what it means to be self-compassionate and especially to understand the basis of any misconceptions we may have.
 
If you want to know more about self-compassion and the research, a good starting place is Dr Kristin Neff’s website:
 
 http://self-compassion.org/
 
Or this excellent and thorough introductory article by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer:
 
Self-Compassion and Psychological Well-being
http://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Neff.Germer.2017.pdf
 
 
Get in Touch!
If you are an elite or former elite athlete and find resonance with this type of self-compassionate approach in your sporting experience, I would love to hear from you about your experience. Please contact me at:
[email protected]

By Anna Bentley-Ward, British Olympic fencer.
I completed my first Parkrun (a free, weekly, timed 5k run) in 2015, a year after I gave birth to my first baby. It turns out Olympians aren’t immune to experiencing the challenges of new motherhood so my local, hilly Parkrun quickly became an important mental and physical escape from the relentlessness of being a new mum. Running therefore had one important purpose – to make me feel like myself again.

Recently, I have become involved with The True Athlete Project (TAP), an organisation which promotes a more compassionate society through the power of sport. As a mentor, I draw on my experiences as a former World Class athlete to help aspiring sports people improve their athletic performance, support their well-being and encourage them to use the power of sport to give back to their community. I felt strongly that I too wanted to make a positive contribution in my neighbourhood, so I volunteered to become a Parkrun Guide Runner.

At my local Parkrun, there is a small group of Visually Impaired (V.I) runners, one of whom I used to keep pace with when he was fully sighted. Their stories of adversity and how they continue to overcome that adversity every day is truly inspiring.

My guide running debut was with Malachy, a local runner who despite only being able to see shadow and some contrast has managed to complete an incredible 116 Parkruns (and counting). As a former athlete I am accustomed to preparing very meticulously before performances so I was a little surprised to learn that there was no formal training offered before my first guide run!

Walking to the start line on that first Saturday with Malachy, I felt an incredible sense of pressure and responsibility to guide him safely round the course. I was pretty nervous about him tripping, crashing or falling, so I directed our conversation to agreeing the phrases I would use to count down the corners and how to (sometimes not so politely) tell other runners to move out of our way (turns out this isn’t so easy when someone is wearing headphones!). Malachy also told me that he wanted to start at the very front so that the fast runners passed us quickly and we stayed ahead of the mass. It was quite daunting to be standing next to the sub 20 minute runners when the gun went off, but he was absolutely right – it is the safest place for him to be when surrounded by 180 other Parkrunners.

By Meredith A. Whitley*
April 6th, 2017, celebrates the fourth International Day of Sport for Development and Peace with individuals, teams, and communities sharing how sport can improve the lives of participants and their communities all around the world. This date is particularly meaningful within the Olympic movement, as the first modern Olympics was held on April 6, 1896 in Athens, Greece.
 
While the Olympics have always stood for unity, with the five interlaced rings symbolically representing the five inhabited continents united by Olympism, this unity was on full display this past summer. At the 2016 Olympic Parade of Nations, a group of refugees without a common country to call home carried the banner of the Refugee Olympic Team, while at the Paralympic Games, another group of refugee athletes competed under the banner of the Independent Paralympic Athletes Team. During competition, the refugee team was not only recognized for the harrowing stories of their past, but who they are and what they’re capable of, changing the narrative and giving voice to those so often spoken for by others.

During the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the stadium erupted in applause when the Refugee Olympic Team and Independent Paralympic Athletes Team were announced, welcoming the athletes on the world stage. This inspirational moment of recognition and inclusion serves as a model for the rest of the world, calling on us all to embrace the Olympic values of friendship and respect in our everyday lives.
 
To create lasting change, we must have clear, actionable steps that are identified with specific goals and a timeline, and a real, honest dialogue about what needs to be done. This week, we can focus on the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, when we come together worldwide to celebrate the ways in which sport can bridge divides and create strong communities. Next week, we must continue our efforts within and outside of sport, working to ensure that all are included and celebrated at all sporting levels.