{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"","title":"#350: Olympian, Hockeyroo, and mental health ambassador Rachel Lynch OAM, on championing Athlete Wellbeing and building a fulfilling career","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/6113e9448b49032b5016f7e7/1776815901018-2ac25c05-6ad1-4eca-89f1-729f8d88377a.jpeg?height=200","description":"

Meet Rachael Lynch OAM OLY, former Gold Medalist Hockeyroo, now Nurse/Carer Lead and Wellbeing & Engagement Advisor at Wheelchair Rugby Australia.


Rachael is one of Australia's most decorated hockey goalkeepers. She represented Australia in over 230 international matches and is a dual Olympian (Rio 2016 & Tokyo 2020), dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist, and International Hockey Federation Goalkeeper of the Year (2019). Beyond the pitch, Rachel is a registered nurse with 15+ years of hospital experience, an AOC Athlete Commission member, recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to hockey, a COVID-19 recognition award recipient, corporate speaker, R U OK? Day ambassador, and founder of Stomp Goalkeeping, an online goalkeeping coaching business she built while still competing at the elite level.


Rachael's career didn't follow a straight line, she transitioned from elite athlete to wellbeing administrator by blending nursing credentials, lived experience, and a deliberate year of networking before landing her role at the Victorian Institute of Sport and later Wheelchair Rugby Australia.


We tend to agree with Rachael that life is too short to do jobs we don't love. So, if you're sitting in a career you're good at but don't love, and sport keeps pulling you back, this week's episode with Rachael is exactly what you need to hear!


We cover:


(03:12) - Interview starts


(05:37) - Quick Fire Questions


(12:50) - Where Rachael's passion for nursing and athlete wellbeing stems from


(15:21) - How Rachael's first role at the VIS came about


(18:18) - What a week in Rachael's role at VIS looked like


(20:49) - Rachael's experience working with athletes at Paris 2024


(23:19) - How Rachael got her current role at Wheelchair Rugby Australia


(30:26) - Balancing high-performance demands and long-term athlete wellbeing


(33:10) - How athletes deal with the pressures of high expectations


(36:07) - Common mental health challenges athletes face


(37:38) - How Rachael measures the success of her roles


(38:50) - Why Rachael serves as an R U OK? ambassador


(42:00) - Rachael's playing career


(44:28) - Potential barriers to becoming a professional athlete


(49:38) - Rachael's time with the AOC Athlete Commission


(52:19) - How the Order of Australia Award came about


(56:37) - Rachael's induction into 'Olympians for Life'


(01:00:47) - Rachael's on receiving the Covid-19 Honour Roll Award


(01:05:43) - How Rachael decided what career path she wanted to take


(01:06:41) - What helped Rachael stand out in each of his roles


(01:09:32) - Impact of mentors on Rachael's journey


(01:13:38) - How Rachael became a mentor in the SportsGrad Method Program


(01:15:30) - How to land a job in athlete wellbeing in the next 30 days


(01:16:39) - Biggest \"Pinch Me\" moment working in sport


(01:18:35) - What Rachael's life would look like if she didn't land a job in sport administration post playing career


(01:19:22) - How would you spotlight a female in sport?


(01:20:41) - Question for next guest



If you liked this ep, give these a go:


#294: Journey to Australian Olympic Committee Project Manager with Lyndall MacInnes


#302: Paris 2024, Content Creator | Stella Barry


#306: Dandenong Stingrays FC, Strength and Conditioning Lead | Billie Lewis



Want a job in sport? Click here.


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Thanks for listening, much love!

","author_name":"SportsGrad"}