About me
I’m a keen athlete and passionate about helping others improve in their chosen sport. I am a qualified Run Leader, Level 1 Tri Coach and a qualified Neurolinguistic Programming Practitioner (NLP) as well as a qualified NLP Sports Practitioner.
In 2012 I discovered triathlon and never looked back. I was hooked. My first race was the Victory Sprint tri in North Walsham, where I finished fourth and from there I went on to take part in every distance right up to Ironman. In 2016 I finished the UK Ironman in under 12 hours and finished third in my age group. Pretty competitive, I’ve finished all my races with an age group win or place and earned spots on the podium in all distances. I qualified for the 70.3 European World Champs and secured a place on Team GB for sprint distance.
I’m currently taking a break from triathlon to nurture ultra running pipe dreams but still ride my bike (a Cervelo P2, since you ask) because – gasp! – I love it.
In 2018 I had an epiphany when I realised that the way I wanted to help the sporting community was not with physical training so much as mental coaching.
Sport psychology has enjoyed a stronghold among professional athletes for several years now with many of the biggest names in sport attributing their success to their ‘mind game’. So many of the marginal gains to be had lie between our ears and that’s true whatever level of athlete you are. It was shortly after that that I qualified in as an NLP sports specialist and set up as The Mind Coach.
What does a mind coach do? Do I need mental training?
Just like with a physical coach, a good mind coach guides you to perform at your best mentally.
A mind coach works with you to set goals and identify any barriers to achieving those aims. This could mean tackling limiting beliefs, phobias, negative self-talk, anxiety, unhelpful behaviours… anything that prevents you feeling good and performing at your best.
Some people think mental coaching is only for those at the ‘pointy’ end of sport and those people think it’s only for people ‘struggling’ with issues or feeling negative! The truth in fact is that mind coaching can help anyone on any stage of their sporting journey. It can help competitive athletes step up a level and squeeze more out of their game, it can help beginners develop skills and belief and everyone in between. Just as you can always improve on physical skills no matter how experienced you are, you can always develop your mental game.
How would we work together?
The first meeting is a consultation process and takes about an hour and a half. In this session, I will learn what you are seeking help with and understand more about you so that I can create a plan that works specifically for you.
Subsequent sessions last an hour where we will use techniques drawn mostly from NLP practices but may incorporate other elements of sports psychology. Most people find two sessions is sufficient, but many return for more to tackle other areas.
With sports psychology and mind coaching, there is no ‘therapy’ involved. While it can often tap into emotions – because we are all human – and can mean thinking deeply sometimes about your motivations and values, the main aim is to change behaviour and tackle issues that impede your training and performance. Psychotherapy focuses on the past – coaching is about future and progress. The plan is to help you ‘get out of your own way’.
Key to success in mind coaching is that you have the desire to make the change.
The best results come from working one-to-one but I also offer group workshops. Contact me if this is of interest.
Mind coaching is a new field of training for many and it’s totally understandable to have questions about how it works and what’s involved so please feel free to ask me questions. You can find me at
Instagram: @the_mindcoach
Facebook: The Mind Coach
Website: www.themindcoachnlp.uk
Tel: 07704 336835
Email: themindcoach@btinternet.com
