Crista Cullen GB/ England Hockey - "World All Star Player" Pre-Show Thoughts

We scheduled in an exclusive interview with Crista before the 'minimal media contact' veil descends on the England Hockey team and we're truly appreciative of the opportunity! Crista is widely recognised as one of the best hockey defenders in the world. With over 150 Great Britain and England combined caps, Commonwealth, World Cup and European cup bronze medals, and has been awarded Great Britain’s Hockey player of the year (2006). She has been named three times in the International Hockey Federation’s World All Stars Team (2006, 2007, 2010), and as Great Britain’s top goal scorer in the Beijing Olympics.

The prospects of England winning a medal in Hockey runs high and I'm particularly interested in discovering more about this sport. The pitch where the matches are to be held is eye-catching to say the least!

Crista is said to wear her heart on her sleeve...but not when she's swinging a hockey stick ;-)

Crista has also overcome a truly harrowing obstacle in her determination to play hockey and I look forward to talking to her about that. Tune in to discover what it is.

Crista Cullen England Hockey Player

10th June Show: "Choking Under Pressure" Dr Jackson, After-show Reflections

I really enjoyed Sundays show, it's a topic that has always fascinated me - Why do athletes choke? What is 'choking under pressure'? And, how can athletes control their emotions to avert choking?

Choking crosses many different lifestyles, such as sport, exams, interviews, etc, so you'll find the issues discussed of interest.

We delve into the two theories surrounding this topic: explicit and implicit memory, and how they are affected during performance. Dr Jackson provides some tips on how athletes, in fact all of us, can use to avoid this debilitating phenomenon.

There's a really interesting example of choking that Dr Jackson raises in regards to some research that was released shortly before a USA Basketball game; the outcome of the match is very intriguing, so listen out for that. And Andy Murray, tennis star, even receives a mention in this episode!

This topic is so in-depth we really didn't have enough time to cover all we wanted to, so it looks like I may have to invite Dr Jackson back onto the show.

You can check out my other shows too. My next show is with Norways fastest sprinter, who won the 100m recently at the Bislett Games in Oslo http://bit.ly/MclBBa http://bit.ly/K00nQ3  Tune in for that.

Feel free to leave a comment either here or at my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/PerformanceInSport

Norways Fastest Woman - Ezinne Okparaebo, International Sprinter - Pre-Show thoughts

Ezinne, from Norway, comes on to the show to talk about her life as an athlete and her 2012 goals and ambitions. This is another one of our international broadcasts. http://bit.ly/MclBBa,   http://bit.ly/K00nQ3

It's always great to speak to guests who are working hard to get to the London Olympics and this show won't disappoint.

Sometimes as onlookers we can forget about the hours/ years of training and dedication that goes into achieving the outcomes athletes strive for.

They say that first impressions often count for something and I can already tell that Ezinne is a lively, cheerful, focussed person, with much experience and I look forward to speaking with her.

You can catch a glimpse of her at the Diamond League Bislett Games, Norway - Thursday 7 June.

TUNE IN SUNDAY 24 JUNE, 4PM GMT

Choking Under Pressure - Dr Robin Jackson, Sports Psychologist 10th June

I welcome Dr Robin Jackson - Sports Psychologist - onto the show to talk about 'Choking under pressure.'

You'll see it happen many times in sport. Have you ever wondered why it happens? What often is going through the athletes mind? And is there anything that can be done to prevent it? Tune in Sunday 10th June 5pm GMT and discover more.

Dr Jackson's PhD on “choking” in self-paced skills led to a specialisation in Sport Psychology, so expect an enlightening discussion.

I've always been curious about why this happens. Often, in the past, I used to sit in front of the TV, feeling perplexed as to why the athlete just doesn't 'get a grip', calm down and do what they need to do. But as you'll hear from our discussion, there's much more going on below the surface, which can have an adverse effect on a sports person!

TUNE IN SUNDAY 10 JUNE, 5PM GMT!

The Fast & Furious

The not so great sound quality of this show doesn't detract from the quality of the content and subject matter. Gavin (Alphasport) and Ben (motorsport racer) are great guests and added to the interest in this show.

The reason why I broadcast these shows is because I love meeting new people and hearing about their success, joys and sometimes hardships they have experienced in their sport. Another massive reason is because I love talking about the workings of the mind, I find it fascinating and good thing too, I mean, it is my job!!! In this show I feel that Gavin, Ben and I are able to take a big bite into the psychology of sport and discuss proven strategies that can help improve performance.

It was the first time I had more than one guest appear on the same show and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I enjoy watching Formula-1 racing and so talking to these guys gave me a little bit of insight into that world.

An amazing part of the show is when Ben relates how he drove on a new race track only after he had seen video footage and mentally rehearsing it. Pay attention when he describes how whilst he was watching the video he unconsciously registers a bump on the track, without realising it!! It truly demonstrates the power of the unconscious mind.

6th May Show, Dr Steve Peters - Rescheduling

Hi, due to technical issues the show for Sunday 6th May had to be cancelled but will be rescheduled. Apologies to my supporters and those of you who tuned in expecting to hear from us. This hasn't happened before and I'm in correspondence with BlogTalkRadio to clarify what went wrong.

These things happen and we have to roll with it, so please stay tuned as we will be rescheduling for a later date. You may wish to connect with us on the Radio Show info group, Twitter, or visit the website to  hear firsthand when this and our other shows will broadcast next.

Thanks for your support!

Hazel-nut - Louise Hazel Commonwealth Heptathlon Champ

Hair dying, chest beating and hairy legs, it's all in this episode as I speak to Louise Hazel 2010 Commonwealth Heptathlon champion. One thing that stands out to me about this episode is the fact that Louise had a bit of a frustrating weekend in competition but she got fully engaged in the conversation right from the start, a true professional.

I get her thoughts on 'stress in sport' and was intrigued to hear about she personally deals with pressure in her sport. Sometimes as onlookers and non-athletes, like myself, we can forget the immense pressure that is put upon such athletes like Louise. Sometimes that pressure comes from external sources and often, unsurprisingly, from within the athlete themselves, as they strive to be the best.

To Do Lists and Poetry

Louise gets quizzed about her "Single girls to do list" and we discover some interesting things that appear on it. I challenged her to give me an outrageous one but she declined. I pushed her to name one when 'off air' but we didn't manage that - Louise, I'm still waiting! ;-)

Louise also writes poetry, which she has published on her website and I was keen to learn how this influences her mindset in her personal and sporting life! Keep your ears open for her response. She said there was a very deep poem that she was set to release...Louise, as of May 2012, we're still waiting ;-)

What's the BrainDrain question I posed for her? Louise, if you're reading this, I'm not accusing you of cheating but was there a bit of Googling going on there??? ;-)

An interesting interview, from an athlete who is still motivated and driven towards success. I found her to be open, fun and well, yes, cute in her mannerisms too. Maybe she'll come back on the show on another occasion to give us a brief update on her season!!

The Opening Show...On Ice!

So, here I was in mid October 2011, with a start date of Sunday November 13th for the launch of my very first show…and I had no guest! I felt like I was stood under a tree, on a block of thin ice, in the Sahara, with a noose around my neck.

I'm not one to panic, so I got to work to see about securing a guest. It took just a few days before I received a positive response from Sanya Richards Ross - USA Olympic Gold Medallist! I can't describe the joy and relief I felt. First guest - an internationally renown athlete; you couldn't ask for more. I grabbed the noose and ripped it apart, I was saved.

Back On Ice!

My feet were just warming on the Sahara sands when I felt the chill of the ice once again; Sanya couldn't make November 13th. I stepped back onto the ice, the noose seemed even tighter now, as I still had no guest for my opening show. Date? November 3rd.

Funnily Enough, Networks Work…

I wasn't about to cancel the show, not a chance. For those of you that know me, you know I haven't much hair on my head to pull out, so that wasn't going to help either. I did what we all should do in times like this…I turned to my network, my contacts.

Within one phone-call I secured my guest - Internationally respected Andy Barton, Sports Psychologist & Mental Skills Consultant. Andy has appeared on, amongst others, Sky News, CNN and has written articles for various publications, he was ideal for my opener. Funnily enough, networks work! I ripped that wretched noose apart again. Err, problem was, he couldn't appear live on the show. I did briefly think 'Is this just not going to happen?'

All wasn't lost however, as we got together before and recorded the interview to play live on the show. It's an interesting topic we discuss too, the workings of the elite mindset. Go on over to the show page and have a listen.

Swans

Fortunately, Sanya Richards Ross was free to accommodate the show date of 27 November. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, where we talk about her season, why she decided to take time off and what truly motivates her. Oh, and who she would invite to her fantasy dinner party. With the guests she'd invite, I'd love to be there!

Hosting a live show can have it's technical perils sometimes and my show with Sanya proved to be so. Between it being only my second outing as radio host, my Producer losing his Internet connection for a period, Sanya being lost in the Green Room and my then makeshift studio setup giving me a headache, I feel the show went well. All appeared calm above the surface. That's just live shows for you though!

It was a fantastic insight into the life of an elite athlete like Sanya. What I recall most is her enthusiasm about her sport and her motivational strengths. I find the mind of the elite athlete something to be admired. They are very focussed and outcome driven. I know there are many people with similar mindset but athletes are pretty extraordinary, especially with the way they handle their inner conflicts, which can spell disaster for them if they fall prey to negative thoughts!

Check out what her views on doping in sport are and whether she got her 'BrainDrain' question right!

No Guest? Just Do It!

You'll have to excuse my lack of writing my blogs on all the fantastic shows I've hosted so far. But as they say 'better late than never.'

I'll be publishing a backdated bunch of blogs, highlighting some of the shows I have broadcasted, to bring you up to date. This is to give you a bit of an insight into my thoughts on the shows.

This will not be a list of my 'favourites' because I kid you not, every show has been a blast and I love connecting with all my guests! You'll probably hear the excitement and keenness in my voice when you listen-in! And just in case you've been a guest on my show and are reading this - I thank you once again. All my guests have been truly accommodating in offering and agreeing  to appear on the show.

Since it's launch in November 2011 the show has steadily grown. From it's small beginnings, it now attracts over 2,500 downloads - not bad for a fortnightly broadcast, eh? I thank all my followers, new and old, for your ongoing support and applaud you for getting on board this fast increasing social platform of internet radio. The shows are 'evergreen' as they lodge on sites such as iTunes, BlogTalkRadio and my own website. Here's to more great guests and their stories.

I like to have fun in whatever I do and the show is a great medium for me to express myself. Hence, I introduced a quiz called 'BrainDrain', which I pose for my guests, to test them on their knowledge  of the human brain/mind and body. Unfortunately, not all my guests are as great with the quiz than they are in their given sport ;-) Why not pit your wits against the BrainDrain?

No Guest? Just Do It!

I meant to start broadcasting the show a long time ago but never got round to it, due to timing (and procrastination). A few years ago, I had actually appeared as a guest speaker on a BlogTalkRadio show, hosted by the mother of Tasha Danvers - British Olympic bronze medallist and it was this that gave me the fever for broadcasting.

The killer of time, procrastination, still prevented me from taking the leap. However, I do like a challenge, so I had to set myself one to get things rolling. So, in October 2011 I scheduled my first show to broadcast on 13th November. Great! The only problem was that I had no guest! And that was my challenge - to secure a guest for my opening show, within five weeks. Like I said, I love challenges, especially those that involve strength of mind. I look back now and laugh but the opening show didn't quite go according to plan.

In my next blog: "The Opening Show...On Ice!" Coming soon...very soon...in fact probably tomorrow!