| Can you explain your role within the team? |
1) Unlocking the potential in the sailors I work with and
2) assisting the coaching team in delivering effective support for their sailors. |
| How did you get involved with the team? |
Through competing in Olympic classes. |
| How did you start coaching? |
By accident, whilst still competing I was asked to assist in running some Youth Camps, then when the sailing became less the coaching became more. |
| What are the differences, if any, involved in your approach to coaching the Development squad to the Performance squad? |
You coach the sailors not the ‘squad’, at this level it’s no longer just a sausage machine so there might be some core activity but it’s what you do around this that can make the biggest differences. |
| What are the differences or challenges between coaching crews compared to solo sailors? |
The single handed sailors can’t gang up on you. |
| You must work with very driven people 24/7 – what’s your approach? |
Trust that most of the time they know what is good for them, give them the space to develop, keep the sandwiches dry. Drip, drip, drip. |
| If someone has underperformed what’s the best way to get him or her back on track? |
Depends who it is, you don’t become a bad sailor overnight but lack of confidence can be very debilitating. |
| If you weren’t a coach what else would you be? |
Social worker. |
| Best moment in your career so far? |
Any day where you have made a difference, smelt the roses, and still had fun. |
| What’s your greatest fear or phobia? |
That I might be working for a financial institution rather than a sports’ National Governing Body. |
| What would you love to do but never have the time or money for it? |
Get someone else to fill in opionairs addressed to me. |
| What’s your worst habit? |
Picking my nose. |
| Name 3 things that are always in your shopping trolley? |
Grape nuts, milk, teabags. |
| What was the last book you read? |
“Sway” by the Brafman Brothers |
| What’s your favourite boat to sail? |
Any one design that there are a few others to race against, sailed by competitive enthusiasts, who still have some sense of perspective when off the water. |