In this episode, author, head of mentoring at the True Athlete Project and Olympian Laurence Halsted joins Gordon MacLelland to discuss the True Athlete Project, its philosophy and where sport currently fits in society.
During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:
- ‘The True Athlete Project’ and its philosophy
- What it was like for Laurence growing up in a house of Olympians
- Laurences’ motivations for writing ‘Becoming a True Athlete’
- Ethics in elite sport
- Having a ‘human first, athlete second’ approach and how this does not need to compromise performance
- Using sport to as a vehicle to equip young sports people with skills for life
- The power of sport in society and how it can bring communities together
- Laurence’s first memory of being inspired by sport
Laurence Halsted is a two-time British Olympic fencer and multiple European medallist, who competed in the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games. After more than a decade of performing at the highest levels of sport, Laurence hung up his swords and took on a role as the Performance Director of a national federation alongside becoming the head of mentoring at UK non-profit, The True Athlete Project. In 2021 Laurence published his first book – Becoming a True Athlete – which introduces and describes a practical philosophy for flourishing in sport, one that goes far beyond the results and medals to rediscover the true value of being an athlete.
Additional Reading
Are there things about “Modern Day Sports Parenting” that you think people will later regret?
Developing Humility in our Young Athletes – ‘A huge strength, not a sign of weakness’
