Performance People Georgie + Ben Ainslie

It’s the most basic function we all take for granted but learning to harness our breathing can help us manage stress, release tension and even allow us to switch our mindsets when we need to.  
Stuart Sandeman was grieving the death of his girlfriend when he booked a breath class as a Mother’s Day gift. What happened in the next hour changed the course of his life and he now works as a breath coach to high-performers in different fields. The author of Breathe In, Breathe Out tells Georgie of the different benefits that come from regular practice, how he works with clients to improve performance and why, despite breathing all our lives, most of us just aren’t doing it right. He also takes us through a simple breathing exercise that can reset our mind and body and prepare us for the day ahead. By prioritising our breathing, he says, we can boost our mood, output and resilience. Given how many of us are living lives in which stress is the norm, he also explains why breathing might be the most simple antidote.

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How do you approach a goal as big as becoming the fast man on planet Earth? Team GB sprinter Zharnel Hughes made incredible strides in 2023, blitzing a new British record of 9.83 seconds, and now has his sights on the Olympics in Paris this summer. He goes through some of the techniques and habits that have helped him on his journey - including why journalling has become a major part of his routine, how he handles the heart-pumping tension of a big race, plus when and how he uses visualisation to help his goals materialise - often in remarkable detail. What’s surprising is how many of these takeaways are relevant to any of us looking to hit the next level in our own field. He also shares what he learned from training with sprint king Usain Bolt, why NBA legend Kobe Bryant inspired him to be humble on the track and how ‘the spirit left his body’ when he was disqualified from the last Olympic 100m final in Tokyo.
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Asking yourself this simple question is something that coach Alex Kergall believes is central to performing at our best. And he should know. He spends his life helping CEOs and professional athletes to keep improving. In his chat with Georgie, he considers the common characteristics and challenges of building the life we truly want to live, why we often approach life ‘upside-down’ and if you focus on fear, then you can be sure it’ll come knocking. He shares how he works with clients to move their mindset away from the worst-case scenario and towards a lighter approach that focuses on self-nourishment and being present in your everyday tasks.
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Philippa Langley has an extraordinary story. Flying high in her career she was struck down with chronic fatigue syndrome and, as she recovered, only had enough energy to read. But what she read led her to become a world-renowned expert in Richard III and ultimately find the location of his lost remains in a story that made headlines around the world. It’s a lesson in high performance against the odds, shaping your own opportunities when some might throw in the towel and how to keep going when the obstacles seem insurmountable.
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Rugby player and world cup winner Natasha "Mo" Hunt is proof positive that getting your mindset right can take you to the top of your field - and keep you there. Fearless on the pitch, she credits her competitive upbringing with building her will to win which only seems to be getting stronger in her thirties. One performance tip she prizes above all others is having the right people around you. Where your attention goes, so does your performance. It's why she also emphasises the importance of bringing more joy into how you train and prepare, whatever it is you do.
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Studies show those living in the Nordic regions are happier than in the rest of the world. Why? Helen Russell is a best selling author and speaker and has raised her children in Denmark. She shares with Georgie what she's discovered about how the culture of a place can truly sway the happiness dial.
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