Finding Balance Tom Ford

“I used to be the kind of person who put so much pressure on himself; which definitely worked in big parts of my career. I mean I was able to get to the top of the rankings at 23 this way. But I felt that if I wanted to have a long career, I couldn’t do that for a long time because it takes so much out of you mentally.”

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“That’s why a lot of athletes who lose their Number 1 spot struggle to get back again, because it’s not easy to accept that someone has raised the bar over you. And that’s the toughest part, is knowing that the level you played at when you were World Number 1 is not acceptable anymore.”

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“But when I said I only accept being number 1, I didn’t mean world number 1, I meant playing as a winner. I don’t mind losing, but the way I was losing that season I wasn’t playing as a winner.”

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“I fought this way for myself; because I don’t want to have regrets. When I lose this way I’m not ever going to have regrets. But if I lost because I haven’t trained hard or I was not motivated, then I will remember this for the rest of my career.”

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“Being the best is not about getting everything right every time you go on court. It’s about finding a way to win when you’re not playing your best.”

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“The mind is everything. The reason I got back last season was not because I trained harder than everyone else, it’s because I believed that I was going to come back there again.”

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Recommended Books:

Relentless by Tim Grover - www.amazon.co.uk/Relentless-Unsto…er/dp/1476714207

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - www.amazon.co.uk/Alchemist-Fable-…ng=UTF8&qid=&sr=

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Keep up to date with all that Mohamed is doing on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @moelshorbagy

“I believe in total squash; I think some coaches are obsessed with making you hit the ball cleanly or having the perfect hitting technique, but hitting is only a small part of the game.”

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“When I retired in June 2016 I was just really happy to stay at home, to be in one place for a long time. Retirement felt like a warm bath!”

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“I discovered this almost by accident during my career, that some of my best results were not the times when I was most disciplined, but actually the times when I just let go.”

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“I think this is great about being a writer, now it’s not about me. Suddenly I’m a fly on the wall.”

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“If something gives you great satisfaction, then you should do everything to take all of the obstacles out of the way; and often the obstacles are in your mind.”

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LJ's Book Recommendation: 

Wonder Valley by Ivy Pachoda - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wonder-Valley-Ivy-Pochoda/dp/006265635X

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Keep up to date with all that LJ is doing on his website www.laurensanjema.com, on Twitter @ljanjema, and Instagram @laurensjananjema

Meditation is something I'm very passionate about and take great joy in guiding people through. 

Here is the most common one I share. I hope you find it helpful x 

“I don’t think there was ever one particular moment when I thought I want this to be my profession, I just loved playing.”

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“I remember when I started having good results as a kid, two of my friends started to say I was a bit arrogant and gave me a hard time, and I think that just stayed in my mind.”

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“If you keep on working hard and believing that you can actually achieve something, even though you were not the best in juniors, you can still achieve as a senior.”

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“A few months ago, we tried to change my game a little and I went too far and lost my personality on court.”

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“Everyone is working hard; not in the same way, but hard. So when you get on there it’s the mind that makes all the difference.”

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“I would always say to have fun, because at the end of the day it’s still a game. You started playing squash because you were having fun.”



Book Recommendation: "Les vertus de l’echec" (The Virtues of Failure) by Charles Pepin: www.amazon.fr/vertus-l%C3%A9chec-Charles-Pepin/dp/2370730129



- Follow Camille on Facebook for results and training info, and Instagram for more of her day to day life! @camilleserme

Fi has been at the top level of professional squash from a playing perspective and a coaching perspective. She is a former National Champion and Commonwealth Games Bronze Medallist, and was in the top 20 in the world for 19 years, reaching a high of number 5. She has also coached for England Squash at the top level and was based in New York for 4 years running a squash programme as the Head Pro.

In this conversation we talk about both sides of her life as a player and a coach, and how she found them to compliment each other. She talks about the benefit of rivalry, her most challenging moments, and also shares an incredible story about how she made the semi-finals of the World Championships under far from perfect circumstances.

But what this conversation is really about, underneath it all, is being who you truly are. Being unafraid to show up as you are, and the enormous benefit and freedom this has on your daily life as well as your craft. The way that Fi articulates her story is inspiring, and one that I hope gives permission and confidence for us all to show up and express ourselves more as we truly are.



Book Recommendation:

Andre Agassi: Open - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Open-Autobiography-Andre-Agassi/dp/0007281439

· We talk about my early years playing and the biggest influence on my squash.

· We talk about my experiences as a young boy and how squash very quickly became a huge focus of my life.

· We discuss the transition into training as a professional. I share a story about already trying to train more seriously when at sixth form / high school.

· I talk about the relationship I had with England Squash during my transition into playing pro and share a story of how influential Peter Nicol was in my decision surrounding university.

· We talk about my early years on the PSA and how I ended up working with Hadrian in Bristol.

· I share the reasons why I was hating being a professional at the beginning.

· We discuss my years on the tour culminating in my most successful month on the tour, shortly before I decide to stop playing. I share the reasons why and the events that led to that decision.

· We discuss the fatigue / burnout that I was experiencing at the time. What does it feel like? Is it similar to depression? What does my day to day look like?

· We close by discussing my hopes for the future.



RESOURCES:

· Follow me on social media! @tomfordsquash

· Gary Powell – https://thelocalanswer.co.uk/news/sport/squash/1709-chel-unsung-hero-squash-powell.aspx?area=all

· Hadrian Stiff - https://elitesquash.com/

· Body Mind Mastery – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Body-Mind-Mastery-Creating-Success/dp/1577310942/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1572346375&sr=8-1

· A New Earth – https://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Earth-LIFE-CHANGING-otherworldly-Breakfast/dp/0141039418/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=a+new+earth&qid=1572346414&sr=8-1