The High Performance Podcast

Robin van Persie captained Arsenal and won the league with Manchester United, but for years he says his hardest opponent was himself.We re-visit our classic episode with Robin where he talks about the letter he wrote to himself that he didn't believe when he read it back, the childhood friends he let go at 24, the Arsenal exit he'd handle differently and the advice to his son that Jake calls the whole podcast in two minutes.Our partners in this episode:AG1 👉 Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packsXTB 👉 To find out more and make your money work, use code HPP at: https://highpfrmc.com/XTB_HPP_AUVitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

Most of us are waiting for someone to tell us we're ready. This week, Jake and Damian argue that moment never comes, and that the people we admire most simply stopped waiting.You'll hear from George Russell on the email to Toto Wolff that started his Mercedes journey, Robin Sharma on why it pays to be "a bit of a pirate", Alain de Botton on why the world is built by humans, not gods, and Adam Grant on the feedback that nearly made him quit public speaking. Francis Ngannou, Shane Parrish and Tom Kerridge unpack what it really means to take full ownership of your life, and Holly Tucker explains why there's never a perfect time to start.Along the way, Damian brings in the research on self-efficacy, why we underestimate how willing people are to help us, and why amateurs wait for inspiration while professionals just get on with it. Then Dame Amanda Blanc complicates everything: sometimes, all it takes is someone else believing in you first.Listen to the full episodes: George Russell https://pod.fo/e/1527c9 Robin Sharma https://pod.fo/e/23512bAlain de Botton https://pod.fo/e/1f5db0Adam Grant https://pod.fo/e/1546d4Francis Ngannou https://pod.fo/e/21a419Shane Parrish https://pod.fo/e/1ff000Tom Kerridge https://pod.fo/e/22356eHolly Tucker https://pod.fo/e/1943fDame Amanda Blanc https://pod.fo/e/1419c7Thanks to our partners: AG1 👉 Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packsXTB 👉 To find out more and make your money work, use code HPP at: https://highpfrmc.com/XTB_HPP_AU Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

Donate 👉 Sir Kevin Sinfield's 7 in 7: The Grand Finale https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/7-in-7-the-grand-finaleEngland Rugby coach and MND campaigner Kevin Sinfield has spent years running into pain, not away from it. In memory of his friend Rob Burrow, he has pushed his body to its limits, finding in the suffering a way to carry some of the emotional weight of the families he meets.In this episode, Kevin shares the lessons Rob taught him without saying a word: what matters, what doesn't, and how to live with more courage and compassion. He also reveals what high performance really means to him, getting the best from people while caring for them.This is a conversation about purpose, resilience and the power of showing up for others. Because for Kevin, it has never been about the miles. It's just running for a mate.Our partners in this episode: AG1 👉 Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packsXTB 👉 To find out more and make your money work, use code HPP at: https://highpfrmc.com/XTB_HPP_AUVitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

We're revisiting this extraordinary conversation with one of our most-requested conversations - Usain Bolt.Usain reveals the failures that changed the way he thought about performance, including the Olympics in Athens where he failed to make it out of the first round. He shares the moment his coach told him he simply wasn’t working hard enough, and the painful realisation that followed.Usain opens up about the power of consistency, learning how to lose, handling pressure, competing with scoliosis, dealing with global fame, and the mindset that helped him win eight Olympic gold medals.He also explains why he learned to “don’t think limits”, how he stayed calm before the biggest races of his life, and what high performance actually meant to him after dedicating his entire life to it.Daniel's latest book Fed Up is out now https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/59539/daniel-liebermanAG1 👉 Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packs

Why is sport still drinking? For decades, alcohol has been part of sporting culture. Team nights out, beers after games and stories of legendary drinking sessions have become part of the mythology of elite sport.But is that culture changing? And if it is, what are we replacing it with?Jake and Damian explore why alcohol has played such a powerful role in sport, from helping teammates bond and break down hierarchy to simply giving people permission to switch off. They discuss the pressure of constant optimisation, why high performance can become exhausting, the darker side of celebrating destructive drinking stories, and what modern teams can do to create connection without relying on alcohol.They also explore what elite sport can learn from women's sport, the importance of shared experiences, and why sometimes the thing we need most is simply permission to stop performing.A conversation about alcohol, sport, connection, pressure and the importance of knowing when to switch off.If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol, visit Drinkaware for advice and support.

Evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman challenges one of our most persistent beliefs about weight loss: that if you can’t stick to a diet, you simply need more discipline.He explains why our bodies evolved to hold onto fat, why willpower can only take us so far, and how diet culture has turned eating into a cycle of guilt and shame.Daniel also shares the story of his own mother, whose obsession with avoiding fat came at a cost later in life, and introduces a simple way to spot bad advice: are you thinking like a fox, embracing nuance, or a hedgehog, convinced one idea explains everything?His message is simple: there is no perfect diet. There are only trade-offs, and understanding them might change the way you think about food, health and your own body.Daniel's latest book Fed Up is out now https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/59539/daniel-liebermanAG1 👉 Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packsXTB 👉 To find out more and make your money work, use code HPP at: https://highpfrmc.com/XTB_HPP_AU Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

This is a revisit of the conversation we previously had with Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ Team Principal and CEO, and it remains one of the most revealing interviews we’ve ever recorded.Toto opens up about the childhood experiences that shaped him, losing his father at 15, being forced to grow up quickly and the financial hardship his family faced.He also speaks candidly about periods of depression from the age of 18, seeking professional help and the feeling that he was alone with what he was experiencing. He explains why he has always “stared into an abyss”, how self-doubt drives him and why he believes questioning yourself every day is essential to improvement.We also get inside Toto’s leadership mindset, including the mistakes he made during Mercedes’ difficult years, how he learned to control his emotions and why he believes leaders should blame the problem rather than the person. And, of course, we revisit 2021, Lewis Hamilton, Abu Dhabi, Silverstone and the extraordinary pressure of that season.A deeply personal conversation with one of Formula 1’s most recognisable figures, and a reminder that the person behind the calm exterior has faced his own battles with doubt, failure and adversity.AG1 👉 Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packsXTB 👉 To find out more and make your money work, use code HPP at: https://highpfrmc.com/XTB_HPP_AU Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

What do you actually feel when you win? Jake and Damian explore one of the strangest patterns they've noticed across more than 400 High Performance conversations: so many people reach the top of their mountain, only to wish they'd enjoyed the climb a little more.Damian unpacks the hedonic treadmill and arrival fallacy, and asks what we're actually optimising our lives for when every achievement simply moves the goalposts. Because if the next win is always more important than the one you've just achieved, when do you ever get to enjoy where you are?Along the way you'll hear Rio Ferdinand on winning the Champions League and immediately asking who Manchester United were signing next; Jonny Wilkinson on discovering that years of suffering had only created stronger habits of suffering; Stephen Hendry on being back at the practice table the morning after winning; Jill Scott on putting the process ahead of the result; Dan Carter on the one word he wrote in his notebook before a World Cup final: "enjoy"; Ryan Yates on his laid-back cousin who has no desire to achieve more; and Ali Abdaal on the question we should all ask ourselves: would you fast-forward through your life?Winning matters. But so does being there for it.AG1 👉Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packsVitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

Former British Army paratrooper Josh Boggi’s life changed in 47 minutes when he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan, losing both legs and his right arm. But surviving was only the beginning of learning who he was going to become.Josh opens up about the five-minute conversation with a fellow triple amputee that gave him a new roadmap for life, and how sport helped rebuild his confidence, identity, and sense of purpose. He also reflects on surviving a second near-fatal accident years later, an experience he describes as mentally harder than Afghanistan.From competing at the Invictus Games to now helping others navigate life-changing injuries, Josh shares how he found purpose in becoming for others what that fellow amputee once was for him.This is a conversation about identity, purpose, and the choices we make when life takes us somewhere we never expected to be.The Invictus Games Foundation is a global charity using the power of sport and community to support the recovery of wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans, creating year-round opportunities that help people rebuild confidence, connection and purpose.In July 2027, the Invictus Games return to the UK for the first time since 2014, with Birmingham welcoming competitors, families and friends from around the world for a week of adaptive sport, recovery and connection. Tickets go on sale this October: https://www.invictusgamesfoundation.org/AG1 👉 Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packsXTB 👉 To find out more and make your money work, use code HPP at: https://highpfrmc.com/XTB_HPP_AU Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au