Feel good factor?

Chris Shambrook
So much of great performance is about feeling right. Feeling prepared can really help confidence and performance for many people. How much were the results of a home Olympic Games for GB athletes due to a feel good factor and home crowds and how much was that the opportunity of…
Read More >

The delivery mindset

Chris Shambrook
Choose your mindset As the Olympic Games approaches, all athletes and coaches are faced with the choice of when to switch into their delivery mindset. The delivery mindset is all about being 100% focused on cashing in on what has been put in place and being passionately driven to find…
Read More >

Choosing your environment to thrive, focus, acclimatise and excel

Chris Shambrook
During the final throes of preparation for the Olympics, the choice of environment becomes critical to achieving ideal readiness to step into the melting pot of the Games. Many members of Team GB are currently out of the country deliberately in very different environments from the ones they'll end up…
Read More >

Under pressure – what’s your perception?

Chris Shambrook
Under Pressure? Whether you’re under pressure or not might simply be a matter of perspective. Writing this, there are 42 days to go to the start of the London Olympic Games. Now, there’s a very good chance that for most people a looming deadline for a critical event a kin…
Read More >

Learning how to outperform your opposition

Chris Shambrook
Winning the Mind Games The first FISA Rowing World Cup of the season took place in Belgrade earlier this year. It was the first of three regattas that are the only international competitions of note prior to the Olympic Games at Dorney Lake. This first foray back into international competition…
Read More >

Surprise doubles win

Chris Shambrook
Jonathan Marray's surprise doubles win at Wimbledon provides a great story. In a post match interview he said he could not quite believe he had won the title, adding: "When I see my friends and family and speak to them about it, over the course of a few days, a…
Read More >

Desire to win

Chris Shambrook
Same strokes with different folks The British Rowing Team announced their first competitive squad of the Olympic season in April this year. In an Olympic season there’s some interesting alterations to existing crews (who were already world champions and world medalists some 6 months ago). The decision to change is…
Read More >

More inspiration from elite level athletes…

Chris Shambrook
Rafa Nadal after defeat at Wimbledon yesterday "I played a great fourth set. He came back and played unbelievable in the fifth. The only thing I can do is go back home and rest, and I need and deserve it. I'm very, very disappointed, it's not a tragedy, it's only a tennis…
Read More >

Perspective, fun and talent

Chris Shambrook
Here are some interesting pre-Olympic comments from the UK Athletics head coach. Have a read and see what you think and make sure you get all the way to the last paragraph. It highlights some interesting paradoxes in elite level performance. It can help to care passionately about what you…
Read More >

Seat racing for The Olympics

Chris Shambrook
Here's the first of a short series of Thought Pieces written in the run up to the London Olympics by one of our coaches who's closely involved. We'd be delighted if any of them prove useful for you in your performance and equally delighted if you feel inclined to forward…
Read More >