Define Your Success Abigail Irozuru

A captivating conversation with Team Fiji Olympic athlete Danielle Alakija, as she shares her remarkable journey from childhood running superstar to becoming an Olympian at just 16 years old. Beyond the track, we delve into Danni’s passion for climate advocacy, particularly her efforts to amplify the voices of the Global South in discussions around climate change solutions. She's reimagining the UN Sustainable Development Goals to ensure inclusivity and fair representation, addressing historical inequalities and uplifting marginalised communities through her passion project - SOLI. 

And here’s our call to action for athletes and listeners passionate about climate advocacy - you can get involved with her latest project - SOLI - by sharing letters and information about personal experiences of climate change. 

Email: danielle@soli.earth 

Social Media (Instagram, etc): @daniellealakija

Web: www.soli.earth 

Throughout our discussion, Danielle's creativity, resilience, and commitment to making a difference shine through, inspiring us all to pursue our dreams and create positive change in the world. 

And, of course, stay tuned until the end to hear Danni’s definition of success and personal experiences of resilience in her own world. 🌍✨

Send us a voice message - https://anchor.fm/define-your-success/message 

Email - info@defineyoursuccess.uk 

Instagram: @ Definesuccessuk - https://www.instagram.com/definesuccessuk/ 

Twitter: @DefineSuccessUK - https://twitter.com/DefineSuccessUK 

Abigail - Instagram: @absisdabest - https://www.instagram.com/absisdabest/  // Twitter - @airozuru - https://twitter.com/Airozuru 

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Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com 

Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)

Connect with Abigail and the podcast:Show Noteshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US




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Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson is a Canadian Olympian and a Performance Lifestyle Advisor with the UK Institute of Sport, working with British Athletics and British Shooting World Class Performance Program athletes. 

The second key conversation of the 2024 season with Define Your Success is between host Abigail Irozuru and Erika, a member of the elite high performance team. 

Key Discussion Points:


Athlete and Sport Engagement with Performance Lifestyle Teams: Delving into the significance of athlete engagement with Performance Lifestyle Teams, Erika sheds light on how these teams play a crucial role in supporting athletes throughout their careers.


Transition and Mental Health Support: Drawing from her own experiences transitioning from elite sport, Erika compares the support systems in the UK and Canada, highlighting the need for robust mental health resources tailored to athletes' diverse needs.


Six Pillars of High Performance: Erika outlines the six pillars integral to developing a well-rounded, high-performance athlete, emphasizing the importance of addressing various facets of athletes' lives beyond their athletic endeavours.


Transitions Beyond Retirement: The conversation expands to encompass transitions beyond retirement, demonstrating that transitions are not limited to exiting the sport but encompass various life changes.


Personal Journey with Mental Health Advocacy: Erika shares her personal journey with mental health challenges, which spurred her advocacy efforts and led her to pursue a Psychology degree, ultimately shaping her current work at the UK Institute of Sport.


Self-Directed Development Strategies: Offering valuable insights, Erika discusses self-directed personal development and transition support strategies for athletes who may not have direct access to elite programs, catering to both developing athletes and those at higher levels.


Coaching and Mentoring Models: Exploring coaching and mentoring models, the discussion underscores the importance of athlete buy-in when collaborating with Performance Lifestyle practitioners.



Useful Resources Discussed:


More To Me Initiative: https://uksportsinstitute.co.uk/article/eis-helps-athletes-expand-coaching-skills-through-more2me-initiative/ A program aimed at expanding athletes' skills.


UKSI (UK Sports Institute): https://uksportsinstitute.co.uk/ Providing comprehensive support for elite athletes.



TASS (Talented Athlete Support Scheme):  https://www.tass.gov.uk/ Supporting young, developing athletes.


NGB (National Governing Body) - UK Sport: https://www.uksport.gov.uk/ Focusing on Olympic and Paralympic high-performance goals.




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Social Media / Email 

Podcast Link - https://anchor.fm/define-your-success // Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7ntkYxL444R6mOtlyQmcYn // Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/define-your-success/id1595377040 

Send us a voice message - https://anchor.fm/define-your-success/message 

Email - info@defineyoursuccess.uk 

Instagram: @ Definesuccessuk - https://www.instagram.com/definesuccessuk/ 

Twitter: @DefineSuccessUK - https://twitter.com/DefineSuccessUK 

Abigail - Instagram: @absisdabest - https://www.instagram.com/absisdabest/  // Twitter - @airozuru - https://twitter.com/Airozuru 

Credits

Hot Pepper by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ 

Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com 

Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US 




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Second of the two-part conversation hosted by Olympian, Abigail Irozuru with Team England Commonwealth Games' rhythmic gymnast, coach and business-owner Mimi-Isabella Cesar.

Key takeaways from the conversation include:

1. Aesthetic sports like gymnastics involve subjective judging based on the athletes' appearance and execution.

2. Collaboration with experts in various fields is crucial for athletes' holistic development.

3. MIC Gymnastics offers tailored training programs and a supportive community for athletes of all ages and levels.

4. Mimi's multifaceted career includes coaching, commentating, and aspirations in media, property, and investment.

5. Embracing challenges and using personal experiences to drive positive change is essential for growth and success.


Connect with Abigail and the podcast:

Send us a voice message - https://anchor.fm/define-your-success/message 

Email - info@defineyoursuccess.uk 

Instagram: @ Definesuccessuk - https://www.instagram.com/definesuccessuk/ 

Twitter: @DefineSuccessUK - https://twitter.com/DefineSuccessUK 

Abigail - Instagram: @absisdabest - https://www.instagram.com/absisdabest/  // Twitter - @airozuru - https://twitter.com/Airozuru 

Hot Pepper by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ 

Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com 

Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US 

Show Notes




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The first episode after a year-long hiatus (sorry - I went AWOL!)

Conversation with 2 x Team England Commonwealth Games representative in rhythmic gymnastics, Mimi-Isabella Cesar. 

In this first part, we speak about the highs and lows of Mimi’s competitive career and lead into her journey into entrepreneurship, inspired by righting the wrongs she experienced to be a better coach and leader to the next generation of rhythmic gymnasts. 

Some topics explored:


Suffering emotional abuse about her body weight and shape, and subsequently her age


The best feeling of rhythmic gymnastics - the silent moment


Top highlights in the sport


I’ve never felt enough


Holding sports leadership to account - coaches, judges, key decision makers


Recognising abuses of power and what that may look like in those you love - parents and guardians 


The hope with a new coach - Australian coach and sports psych - helping her gain confidence and rewrite the decade-long narrative 



At the end of the episode, we lead into what the second part will feature - introduce MIC and entrepreneurship, her growth and how MIC started during COVID, her global reach and extensive support network for gymnasts of all age ranges on MIC, her media and broadcasting work, and her vision for the future.

Hot Pepper by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ 

Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com 

Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US


Get In Touch! Stay Connected...

Email - info@defineyoursuccess.uk 



Instagram: @ Definesuccessuk - https://www.instagram.com/definesuccessuk/ 



Abigail - Instagram: @absisdabest - https://www.instagram.com/absisdabest/ 


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A quick dose of inspiration and some practical challenges from Olympian, Abigail Irozuru for you to try to apply to have a great week and ‘achieve greatness’ in your own life! Share your thoughts on this episode on Instagram @definesuccessuk https://instagram.com/definesuccessuk or email info@defineyoursuccess.uk . You can even send in a short voice message with your thoughts! Https://anchor.fm/define-your-success/message

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In this episode with 4 x Olympian from Trinidad and Tobago, Mikel Thomas, we discuss:


his Olympic experiences (the athlete’s perspective) from Beijing 2008 to London 2012 to Rio 2016. 


his Masters program in Lausanne, Switzerland at the International Academy of Sport, Science and Technology and the doors of opportunity this opened, including being amongst FIFA, UEFA, and the global sporting ecosystem 


his current work at Visa in Strategic Partnerships and how other Olympians and Paralympians can get involved, particularly those in North America! 



This is the final part of a two-part conversation with Mikel Thomas. 

Subscribe so you can be notified immediately when the next episode drops! You won’t want to miss it!






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