Everyone Active Mentoring Day

Last week I was invited to the second Everyone Active Mentoring Day at the Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre in St Albans.

As an international athlete for GBR Blind Sailing, I am lucky enough to receive a small amount of sponsorship from Everyone Active to help fund my training and participation in the sport. As part of this scheme, Everyone Active organise Mentoring days for their sponsored athletes.

I was warmly welcomed by the Everyone Active team on arrival, and met some of my fellow athletes, who are training for and participating in competitive events for a wide range of sports, from triathlon to golf, ice skating to netball.

We participated in two very interesting and informative workshops. The first was an introduction to nutrition for athletes, from nutritionist Chris McLeod, and made us more aware of what is appropriate to put into our bodies at different stages of our training and competing, and how to manage our diet. The second was entitled “Mental well-being in sport”. Dr Josie Perry talked to us about the benefits of sport for the mind and body, and also the dangers of exercise addiction and the mental pressures that come with being an elite athlete.

Throughout the day we were lucky enough to be mentored by Olympic Gymnastics Gold Medallist Max Whitlock. During the workshops Max shared his insights into nutrition and the mental pressures of sport. After lunch he gave us an inspiring insight into his career path, his journey to the Olympics in Rio in 2016, and how he got to the top of his sport, in a Q and A session with Colin Jackson.

All in all it was a very inspiring and motivating day, packed full of useful information and advice, and it was great to meet Max, Colin and my fellow athletes.