I have started to interview past athletes to discover their insights on Life Beyond Elite Sport. In particular, they are being asked how they made the transitions beyond elite sport. Today, we are lucky to have Brett O’Farrell who played Australian Rules. I met Brett recently through the Hunter Academy of Sport where I was a Tennis Coach for a few years.

Athlete Interview – Brett O’Farrell

Current Occupation

Chief Executive Officer at the Hunter Academy of Sport.

Share with us a bit about your self (i.e. your background, where you grew up and where you are now).

Raised in Victoria, have lived and worked in NSW & NT at different times of my life. Now married with two kids, Chloe who is 5 months old and Tom 6 years.

What age did you finish playing Australian Rules?

Professionally 1997 – 2001 and locally in 2006.

Did you choose to retire or not?

My body chose for me … Bad knees.

What was your best sporting performance?

I fondly remember my first game and my first grand final. Great memories. You can read more about Brett’s statistics here.

What are you most proud of doing in your life up until now?

Marrying my wife and having two amazing kids.

Who are the mentors that have inspired you and what important lessons have you learnt from them?

I am lucky to have had a great family, a number of different coaches and some pretty influential business mentors at different times in my life. I like to think it’s a patchwork quilt of great advice that I can refer to depending on the time and the moment. A varied and unique number of mentors provides great perspective at the right times.

Has there ever been times you have questioned yourself and your purpose? If so, what got you through?

Not really, I do think a healthy dose of perspective is what is needed at times when little things become big issues you can always remember what really matters in life.

Is there a significant quote or saying by which you live your life by? If so, what is it?

Have you thought about it from their angle?

What was the most important lesson you learnt from being an athlete?

Perseverance, perspective and humility are very important in being a good human being.

What do you wish you did more of when you were competing?

Getting out of the hospital bed and onto the field.

What are your top 3 tips for making the transition to life beyond elite sport?

Preparation is key, don’t wait for situations to arise, prepare for them so you can hit the ground running.

Over to You…

I hope this has given you some insight from a past athlete who competed in professional sport and has made the transition process. Thanks Brett for sharing your insights and congratulations on where you are in your life today!

If you have any questions, please let me know or leave a comment below.

The post Brett O’Farrell Interview appeared first on Sport Life Flow.

I have started to interview past athletes to discover their insights on Life Beyond Elite Sport. In particular, they are being asked how they made the transitions beyond elite sport. Today, we are lucky enough to have our first male interview – Stephen Huss.

Athlete Interview – Stephen Huss

Current Occupation

National Coach for Women’s Tennis at the United States Tennis Association.

Share with us a bit about your self (i.e. your background, where you grew up and where you are now).

Born in Bendigo, Victoria (Australia). Both my parents are Swedish and moved to Australia before I was born. I grew up in Menzies Creek, an outer eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. Played tennis at Emerald Tennis Centre and then Scoresby Tennis Centre. Had 3 great coaches: first Bill Sale (ages 5-9), then Greg Duns (10-17), and finally Peter (17-35). Went to play US College Tennis at Auburn University in Alabama 1996-2000 with Coach Eric Shore. Got a degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology. Pretty successful in both singles and doubles in College becoming an All American in both. 

What age did you finish playing tennis?

I will always play tennis :). But competitively I finished playing tennis at the US Open in 2011.

Did you choose to retire or not?

Yes I made that choice to retire.

What was your best sporting performance?

Winning the Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Double title in 2005 with Wesley Moodie. 

What are you most proud of doing in your life up until now?

Creating our family with my wife Milagros. Our daughter Kensi who is 9 and our son Noah who is 7. Nothing comes even close to that. 

Who are the mentors that have inspired you and what important lessons have you learnt from them?

There are so many people I have taken lessons from over my lifetime but at the top of the list are firstly my parents, who modelled incredible character and integrity. In my playing career, Peter who taught me about professionalism, work ethic and passion. In my coaching career Jose Higueras, who continues to teach me how to take an incredible sport with complex skills and concepts, and make it more simple to the players we are helping. 

Has there ever been times you have questioned yourself and your purpose? If so, what got you through?

I think it is natural for this to happen and it has certainly happened to me. My parents instilled in me to become independent and that has served me well. Time does not stand still so you better get up and do something. Life evolves so keep at it and good things will happen. 

Is there a significant quote or saying by which you live your life by? If so, what is it?

Some of the best advice I ever got was from Peter, “Surround yourself with positive people”. It is imperative to have people around you that are happy to see you have success, and continually encourage you in that direction. 

What was the most important lesson you learnt from being an athlete?

Honestly there are so many. Sport is a fantastic avenue to create and develop character. There are so many places you get to where the road divides and you choose your own path. Resilience, Perseverance, and Integrity are among the biggest ones. 

What do you wish you did more of when you were competing?

I wish I had invested in myself more during my professional career. To have my coach with me more often would have been beneficial to improving my game and possibly having more good results over the longer term. 

What are your top 3 tips for making the transition to life beyond elite sport?

I feel lucky in the fact that my daughter was born earlier in the year I retired from professional tennis. So I had a wife and family to be with immediately. Having a good support structure with people around you when you stop is very helpful. Also, during your sporting career have something you are doing on the side. These days with all the online school or courses you can take it should be fun and helpful to upskill or educate yourself in areas you are interested in. I am so glad I had my degree behind me when I finished tennis as that allowed me to get my first coaching job in college tennis. Thirdly, utilize and use your contacts that you made along the way in your professional sport journey. People know and value athletes because of the desire and commitment to their sports. They can open doors for you. 

Over to You…

I hope this has given you some insight from a past athlete who competed in professional sport and has made the transition process. Thanks Stephen for sharing your insights and congratulations on where you are in your life today! And thanks also to Peter who made this interview possible.

If you have any questions, please let me know or leave a comment below.

The post Stephen Huss Interview appeared first on Sport Life Flow.

I have started to interview past athletes to discover their insights on Life Beyond Elite Sport. In particular, they are being asked how they made the transitions beyond elite sport. Today, we are lucky enough to have Sally Greer.

Athlete Interview – Sally Greer

Current Occupation

I am currently working as an addiction and mental health counselor for athletes and the general population. I have my own business called 1 On 1Addictions Counselling for Athletes. Sally can be found on Facebook at 1 On 1 Addictions Counselling for Athletes.

Share with us a bit about your self (i.e. your background, where you grew up and where you are now).

I am Cuban born, my parents and grandparents were also from Cuba. Spanish was my first language. We left Cuba when I was 3 years old, the year just before Castro took over, in 1958. We moved to Miami, Florida. I grew up there and played one year of college tennis for the University of Miami. I had the best winning percentage 28-2, and the record still stands today. In 1973 I began playing professional tennis on the Virginia Slims Tour. I played all the grand slams, Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. I played on the tour for 5 years.

What age did you finish playing tennis?

I stopped playing professionally in 1978, I was 23 years old.

Did you choose to retire or not?

I chose to retire because I had promised myself before I went on the tour if I ever played a tournament match where I did not give 100% I would stop. I felt burned out, it was time.

What was your best sporting performance?

Sally’s best performance was defeating Francoise Durr, the French number one player, in the first round of the US Open in 1973. She also is proud of the several satellite tournaments she won on differing surfaces such as grass, indoor carpet, hard and clay.

What are you most proud of doing in your life up until now?

I am in recovery for alcohol and drug addiction. I have been in recovery for 14 ½ years. This helps me when working with addicts, alcoholics and people with mental health issues.

Who are the mentors that have inspired you and what important lessons have you learnt from them?

 I’ve had several mentors, my first coach, professors, but the one that comes to mind is a doctor who has many years of recovery and is an addictionologist who guided me through some very tough decisions when I was just starting my career as a counselor.

Has there ever been times you have questioned yourself and your purpose? If so, what got you through?

Sure, I think everyone has. I questioned mine when I was younger, but not anymore. What has gotten me to this point is that I believe and trust that I am doing God’s will in helping others.

Is there a significant quote or saying by which you live your life by? If so, what is it?

There is a quote I like that is very long. It’s an excerpt from a speech, “Citizenship In A Republic” delivered at The Sorbonne Paris, France on April 23, 1910, by Theodore Roosevelt. The title is, “The Man in the Arena.”

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strive valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again. Because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasm, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory no defeat.”

What was the most important lesson you learnt from being an athlete?

Discipline and that there will always be a next time.

What do you wish you did more of when you were competing?

I wish I had had more confidence, courage, and maturity. I also wish I would have prepared for retirement. 

What are your top 3 tips for making the transition to life beyond elite sport?

My transition out of tennis into “real” life was traumatic even though it was my decision not an injury that ended it for me. I would say surround yourself with a good support system people who love you and care about your welfare not just about you as an athlete. Secondly, I would write down other passions and interests that you might like to pursue after life in sport. Know that your career as an athlete will end while you’re young, there is much life yet ahead. Thirdly, ask other retired athletes how they handled their retirement, everyone is different.

Over to You…

I hope this has given you some insight from a past athlete who competed in elite sport and has made the transition process. Thanks Sally for sharing your insights and congratulations on where you are in your life today! You can connect with Sally here.

If you have any questions, please let me know or leave a comment below.

The post Sally Greer Interview appeared first on Sport Life Flow.

I have started to interview past athletes to discover their insights on Life Beyond Elite Sport. In particular, they are being asked how they made the transitions beyond elite sport. Today, we are lucky enough to have Peggy Zaman.

Athlete Interview – Peggy Zaman

Current Occupation

Fashion Law Consultant @ fashionlawyerette.com

US College Admissions Consultant @ Elite College Scholars

Share with us a bit about your self (i.e. your background, where you grew up and where you are now).

I was born in Madras (now called Chennai), India and moved to Australia when I was 4 years old. There was huge need for doctors in Australia at the time so my dad’s plan was to work for a couple of years, enjoy all the Aussie sports and return to India. 50 years later our family is still here.

I was an antsy and physically tough kid so always played various sports. I grew up in Sydney and attended MLC. After my tennis career, I went to Uni in Queensland (Bond University) and studied Law when I was 20. I have lived in America for approximately 18 years. I travel between America and England.

I also counsel students and help them get athletically recruited actively to US colleges for the majority of sports. This includes sports scholarship colleges and Ivy League/Selective colleges.

What age did you finish playing sport?

I stopped playing elite tennis at age 20 due to a very serious injury – torn rotator cuff. This was after incurring several other injuries.

Did you choose to retire or not?

No, I was sort of forced to because of my injury. The injury was going to take at least 6-9 months to recover from, and as I come from a highly educated family of doctors, lawyers and engineers, I felt pressured to attend Uni and study a professional degree.

What was your best sporting performance?

Asian junior #3 in May 1986 and top 20 in world juniors in June 1986.

I reached a world ranking of around 600 in the world after only playing a few satellites and challengers.

I also qualified for Junior Wimbledon when I was 16.

I won the India Women’s National Titles when I was 18

Ironically, I don’t consider these my best because I now know that I was capable of achieving so much more (which unfortunately, I did not realise back then).

What are you most proud of doing in your life up until now?

I would have to say becoming a mum and raising 3 children. Raising them to be kind, good, happy humans so that they will make a positive impact in this world whilst pursuing their passion/s. It’s the hardest job I’ve ever had (and still have) yet the most rewarding. For me nothing really compares to that.

Who are the mentors that have inspired you and what important lessons have you learnt from them?

Of course my parents were my first mentors. They taught me the meaning of work ethic, equality, helping the underprivileged and treating people with respect. But I would say my grandmother who was wise beyond this world was the most inspirational mentor. We used to call her Confucious! Sadly, she passed away when I was a teenager and it took me decades to come to terms with it. I think I would have had a different life trajectory if she had lived for another decade or so.

Has there ever been times you have questioned yourself and your purpose? If so, what got you through?

Yes, many times! Even now. My faith and profound belief in God and the universe is what gets me through. Knowing that there is a life plan for me no matter which route/s I take even if it’s not the best one at the time.

Is there a significant quote or saying by which you live your life by? If so, what is it?

There was a plaque in our house on the wall that said, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference”. No one really explained what that meant to me so I went from staring at the plaque and being perplexed about the quote as a child, to really understanding the profound meaning of it when I become an adult. I still live by these words every day

What was the most important lesson you learnt from being an athlete?

I always believed the most important lesson as an athlete was relentlessly working extremely hard in every aspect of the sport – stroke technique, gym work, sprints etc. But I realized much later on that self-belief and self-esteem is probably the most important. No matter how hard you work as an athlete, if there is no self-belief then there really is not much of a point and vice versa. They go hand in hand.

What do you wish you did more of when you were competing?

What are your top 3 tips for making the transition to life beyond elite sport?

This is a very interesting question for me!

As I said, I quit tennis because I was severely injured and felt pressured to go to University. Actually, my dad applied to University on my behalf without even informing me! A huge part of me was relieved because I had dedicated 10 years of my life, to the sport with no real breaks or off season. But another big part of me was lost as I did not have any idea of what I was going to do at Uni. At the same time I was used to studying hard because that’s what I did all through school and I was a good student.  I never really thought it was the end of tennis – I always thought I would finish my degree and go back to tennis and that’s something I regret. I really regret not playing tennis for a few more years. Ironically, I have not played much tennis since quitting.

So my 3 tips to transitioning to life beyond elite sport would be:

1. quit or retire only when you are absolutely ready – do not have any regrets;
2. really think deep and hard and recognise what your interests are outside of sport and how you can pursue them once your elite sports career is over. Try a few things here and there and see what piques your interest;
3. you need to give yourself a period of adjustment when transitioning from elite sport to the next chapter of your life, so give yourself as much time as you need and keep playing your sport for fun.

Over to You…

I hope this has given you some insight from a past athlete who has made the transition process from elite sport. Thanks Peggy for sharing your insights and congratulations on where you are in your life today!

If you have any questions, please let me know or leave a comment below.

The post Peggy Zaman Interview appeared first on Sport Life Flow.