Rugby league star Josh opens up on the highs and lows of his career, from being dropped at 14 to becoming one of the sport’s top try scorers. We talk mental resilience, family, autism, training, recovery, switching to rugby union, losing the love for the game, and finding it again at Leigh Leopards.

00:00 – Intro

02:31 – Growing Up in Leigh & Discovering Rugby

06:12 – Getting Dropped by Wigan at 14

10:09 – The Comeback & Signing Again

13:12 – Mental Resilience & Family Life

18:24 – Super League Debut & Early Success

24:26 – Winning Finals & Career Highlights

33:33 – Switching to Rugby Union

44:23 – Losing the Love for Rugby

48:27 – Leigh Leopards

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Jack Birch is a strength & conditioning coach at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center, working with some of the best athletes in the world - from Olympians and skaters to endurance athletes and world champions.

In this episode we discuss elite performance, recovery, genetics vs hard work, burnout, confidence, injury rehab, and what really separates good athletes from great ones. Jack also shares behind-the-scenes insight into the Red Bull APC in Austria and LA.

00:00 – Intro

02:45 – Jack’s Journey From Devon to Red Bull LA

05:08 – Working at West Ham as a Young Coach

12:04 – Rowing, Skiing & Coaching Olympic Athletes

18:47 – Landing the Job at Red Bull

20:26 – What Elite Athletes Are Surprisingly Bad At

30:18 – Genetics vs Hard Work in Elite Sport

52:30 – Recovery, Sleep & Burnout in Athletes

58:47 – The Reality of Being a Professional Athlete

01:05:22 – Austria vs LA: Inside Red Bull’s Facilities

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Olympian Andy Butchart and elite runner Alfie Manthorpe joins the podcast to talk marathon disasters, Olympic Village stories, altitude camps, elite running culture, Hyrox potential, and building a new running community in Manchester. From sh*tting yourself mid-race to chasing Olympic dreams.

00:00 – Intro

08:00 – Olympic Village stories, Rio & Tokyo experiences

16:00 – Marathon disasters, injuries & race horror stories

24:00 – Recovering from the marathon & training struggles

32:00 – Altitude camps, Flagstaff & how elites train

40:00 – Building a Manchester running community

48:00 – Training mindset, pressure & staying relaxed

56:00 – Running shoes, gear obsession & recovery

1:04:00 – Hyrox potential & marathon plans

1:12:00 – Future plans

5% off 247 Represent - Use code: JAKE247

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BPN supplements - 10% off, Use code: JAKE:

https://www.bareperformancenutrition.com

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https://join.whoop.com/gb/en/Jakedearden

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.