'Life Happens' ... with Ollie Phillips

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Ollie Phillips’ CV makes for pretty impressive reading.

After graduating from Durham University, he made the leap to professional rugby, playing for the Newcastle Falcons and making a name for himself on the international Rugby Sevens circuit, as a prolific try-scorer in this fast-paced version of the game. Over a remarkable career that spanned more than a decade, he captained England, played at three World Cups and, in 2009, claimed the prestigious award of World Player of the Year.

But if he has experienced his fair share of highs, it’s fair to say that he has also been hugely affected by the lows, as hitting his peak was followed by injury that forced him into retirement. Unwilling to accept the finality of this situation, and with an Olympic Games potentially on the horizon, he threw himself into intrepid adventure pursuits as a distraction and to give himself time to recover. After sailing round the world and setting a Guinness World Record at the North Pole, it was a full two years later that he had to resign himself to the idea that his rugby-playing days were over.

A senior role with PwC beckoned but with it came severe imposter syndrome at having to transition from the rugby pitch to the boardroom. Watch the interview for Ollie’s insights into what it takes to develop the mindset of a professional athlete and how he overcame the setback of his career ending prematurely and having to face the challenge of the corporate world.

We hope you enjoy the episode. If you do, please make sure you subscribe and share it with your friends, and check back for more great interviews coming soon.

'Life Happens' is the podcast that helps you build mental fitness, speaking to inspirational people about life’s ups and downs, how they’ve overcome setbacks and what it means to them to be mentally fit.