Sport and Life

The Cheltenham Wellbeing Festival is coming to town in September! Great time talking exercise, health & technology with Lottie & Alex who are incredibly passionate about spreading helpful knowledge. cheltenhamwellbeingfestival.com for all the details. Love to know your feedback and appreciate you rating the podcast on iTunes etc.

Really enjoyed this chat with former Cheltenham captain & Bradford defender Shane Duff. We talk about his switch of mindset that allowed him to become a professional footballer and the same mindset that allowed him to pivot when injury curtailed his career at 28. Fascinating to hear how the life skills learned in football have allowed him to prosper in the world of property development. Also talk...

Issac Chamberlain is a talented 25 yo Cruiserweight boxer, rebuilding after his first career loss. He’s also wise beyond his years. His mother cajoled him into boxing 🥊 after his cousin was stabbed to death. Isaac suspects gang life may have been his future were it not for the sport. From a tough neighbourhood in south London, he talks realistically and inspirationally about how kids in similar s...

Fascinating chat with Racing car 🏎 driver Clayton Kingman - a man who made it from self promotion on twitter to race some of the world’s best cars on some of the most illustrious tracks in the world. From the almighty challenge of getting sponsorship and a car in the first place to the huge psychological and physical toll of competing at high speed. Good talk on nutrition & visualisation too. Hope...

Great fun taking fitness and health with boxing 🥊 strength and conditioning coach Dan Lawrence. As Head Of Performance at Matchroom Boxing gym, Dan’s worked with elite boxers John Ryder, Conor Benn and many more. He’s also helped NFL Super Bowl winner Jay Ajayi and England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 & Southampton footballer ⚽️ Ryan Bertrand. We cover the challenges of working with elite athletes and also health a...

Great career/football chat with ‘Finners.’ Covering his time as a youth player at Nottingham Forest to Lincoln, to Cheltenham Town and his transition into a new career - he’s now commercial manager at the club. Let me know your thoughts. Loved this conversation.

Really fun and candid chat with pro rugby union player Gareth Evans. The uncertainty of the career, the injuries, the highs, the business side. Fascinating on the psychology of pro sport and also the consideration of the career to come.

Long chat with John about his potential world title shot in 2019 after eight years in professional boxing 🥊 - cover the ups and downs of his career and how he deals with the uncertainty as he awaits the magic phone call to say the World title shot - potentially against David Lemieux is on. Talk about life lessons of boxing too and how the lifestyle style and its pressures work (or don’t) with fat...

Thoughts on the subjectivity of judging Boxing 🥊 Matches - in the wake of UK 🇬🇧 outrage following draw in Deontay Wilder v Tyson Fury.

Few thoughts on Deontay Wilder v Tyson Fury. And the magical appeal of uncertainty, unknowns and ?s I’m Boxing 🥊 and in life.

Spent the weekend in Monaco 🇲🇨 hosting a boxing 🥊 event. Thoughts here.

Fascinating chat with the first pro boxer with type 1 diabetes to awarded a pro license. Muhammad Ali had to fight for it though. Compelling and courageous young man who boxes next in Manchester November 17. You send now he’s won his right to fight, the boxing will be an easier part of the journey. Let me know what you think.

Had a long phone conversation with Tony Bellew ahead of his challenge to Oleksandr Usyk, the Cruiserweight king, this weekend. Few thoughts here. Wrote a piece, which you can read here too: https://www.givemesport.com/1412429-tony-bellew-exclusive-i-can-shock-the-world-against-oleksandr-usyk

Seen a fair bit of vitriolic judgement flying around re Amir Khan after his WIN v Samuel Vargas. People getting very dismissive of Khan after a knock down and angry about his possibly choosing NOT to fight Kell Brook next. Thoughts on whether this is A) respectful and B) healthy to hold others in this righteous fury - particularly a former Olympic silver medalist and World Champion.

I really enjoyed talking boxing & life with Tony Bange. Tony had to put his blossoming boxing career on hold due to illness in his family. Some insight into the mindset required to make it in Sport plus also the life enhancing skills Tony has gained from competing. His return comes September 8th, York Hall, London.

Few thoughts on the PL opening weekend. The clamour for new players but the reality & complexity of fitting a new team. Does Football’s fascination with buying, and a sense of not having enough, reflect society? Get in touch with your thoughts - @eddraper81 on twitter.

Huddersfield and USA player Danny Williams talking football, life and the need for a relaxed, optimistic mindset in both.

Kiko Rodriguez had a lifelong career in the motor industry, but after shocked by what he witnessed his footballing son, Jay Rodriguez ( England international player) decided to open up an ethical agency. Interesting service station chat on some of the practices he’s seen and what he believes an agent/intermediary’s role should be.

Review chat with Chris Skudder in Kazan (joined by his tour guide Vasili) + journalist Tom McDermott. Thoughts on the tournament as a whole, the revitalisation of international football, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 and what could come next. Get in touch with us on social media with your thoughts.

England win on penalties for the first time at a World Cup. Discussing the seminal event and what it says about Gareth Southgate’s preparation of his players - tactically, physically and psychologically.

England finally win a penalty shoot out! Second in 8 total shoot outs! No accident though. Vindication of Gareth Southgate’s holistic approach to coaching - conditioning bodies and minds. My thoughts here - ping me your’s @eddraper81

Talking the surreality of England v Belgium & the World Cup so far with Chris (briefly before his phone drops out) & Tom in Manchester - before we lose him abruptly too! Apologies for roughhouse ending, but lots covered here. Get in touch with us on social media to have your say!

Historic day for the England football team - biggest ever win at the World Cup and thru to the last. Meanwhile the England cricket team whitewashed Australia for the first time EVER. Could the connection be in the emphasis on psychology and carefree - live-in-the-moment philosophies in both camps? All in the mind? Don’t fear, don’t overthink? Hit me up with your thoughts on twitter - @eddraper81

Shakespeare wrote ‘there is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face.’ Just wonder if Lionel Messi’s strained expression for toiling Argentina offers a different view. What do you think? @eddraper81 on twitter - love to hear from you.

Thoughts on England’s win v Tunisia after an enjoyable watch in a pub in Ealing, West London. @eddraper81 on twitter - like to hear your thoughts.