Science for Sport Podcast

341: Preparing Athletes for Pressure and Adversity

October 12th, 2026  |  32 mins 15 secs

adversity in sport, antifragility, athlete burnout, athlete development, athlete wellbeing, coaching, dr nick holton, elite sport, flow state, human flourishing, mental performance, mental skills training, mindfulness, myedge, nick holton, performance psychology, positive psychology, pressure in sport, psychological flexibility, recovery, resilience, richard graves, science for sport, sport psychology, sports psychology, sports science, stress management, sustainable performance, the antifragile academy, visualisation

Can athletes develop through pressure rather than simply bounce back from it? Dr Nick Holton joins Richard Graves to explore antifragility, the role of carefully managed challenges, and the balance between performance, recovery and wellbeing. They discuss practical considerations for coaches and practitioners, alongside the questions researchers still need to answer about measuring and applying antifragility in sport.

293: Johnny Nelson on the Gym that Created World Champions

November 10th, 2025  |  32 mins 20 secs

athlete development, athlete mindset, athlete resilience, boxing podcast, brendan ingle, coaching philosophy, elite athlete stories, elite mindset, elite performance, high performance sport, human performance, johnny nelson, leadership in sport, mental fitness, mental toughness, mindset, motivation, overcoming failure, performance coaching, performance culture, physical conditioning, resilience, self belief, sheffield boxing, sport psychology, sports performance, sports science, training science, wincobank gym, world champion, world champion mindset

Former world champion Johnny Nelson joins Richard Graves to share how he went from a struggling amateur to the longest-reigning cruiserweight champion in history. He reveals the mindset, coaching, and resilience that turned failure into fuel, with lessons every sports science professional can apply to elite performance.

290: Rewiring Performance: The Neuroscience Behind Mindset and Recovery

October 20th, 2025  |  32 mins 7 secs

Leadership, athlete development, born superhuman, brain training, chatgpt said: mindset, coaching, dan metcalfe, elite performance, high performance, human potential, mental training, motivation, neuroscience, performance psychology, recovery, rehabilitation, resilience, richard graves, science for sport podcast, sports science

In this episode, performance coach Dan Metcalfe joins host Richard Graves to discuss the neuroscience of mindset, recovery, and human potential. Drawing on his remarkable journey from paralysis to coaching elite athletes, Dan explores how belief, brain training, and resilience shape performance at every level.

289: What Sport Teaches Us About Leadership, Culture & the Human Mind

October 13th, 2025  |  29 mins 23 secs

Career Transition, Leadership, accountability, athlete transition, athlete wellbeing, brisbane broncos, catalan dragons, courage, david mead, elite performance, life after sport, mental health in sport, nrl, performance coaching, professional sport, resilience, respect, rugby league, sports psychology, sports science, team culture

ChatGPT said:

Former NRL and Super League star David Mead joins host Richard Graves to share his journey from elite sport to business, exploring how athletes can successfully navigate life after competition. He reveals how the principles of courage, respect, and accountability learned on the field can drive leadership and performance beyond sport.