The Opponents

Iona Roberts
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Sport

Lessons from people doing extraordinary things in sport, fitness and life. If you would like to help this show grow, please follow today. Thank you.

  1. The Music Teacher Who Taught Special Forces Memory Techniques To The Marines | Alexei Janssen

    19 Jun

    The Music Teacher Who Taught Special Forces Memory Techniques To The Marines | Alexei Janssen

    For 17 Years Alexei Janssen was a Lead Learning & Performance Coach at The Royal Marines, Royal Navy and Special Forces. He accidentally fell into the role and ultimately helped to transform the way that Royal Marine recruits are taught. Alexei was known as the ‘nod whisperer’ for his ability to psychologically coach any recruit to success. In this interview Alexei explains how to better understand fear, different ways of learning, Special Forces Selection memory techniques, and much more. We also spoke about his current work - helping high achievers to recover from long-term dysregulation and stress, and to find new purpose.

    46 min
  2. The Mindset That Took Me From Rock Bottom To 10 Ironmans In 10 Days - Fergus Crawley

    5 Jun

    The Mindset That Took Me From Rock Bottom To 10 Ironmans In 10 Days - Fergus Crawley

    Fergus Crawley is an (extreme!) hybrid athlete who survived the darkest depths of depression 10 years ago and recently completed 10 Ironmans in 10 days to commemorate his journey since. In this interview Fergus speaks very openly about his battle with mental health, the important life lessons he learnt coming out of that experience, some of the huge fitness challenges he has done since, the origin and definitions of hybrid training, and how to properly plan your hybrid training. If you enjoy this episode, I would hugely appreciate if you could follow and leave a rating. Thank you.

    45 min
  3. Injury Recovery & The Optimism Scale - Top Sports Psychologist Chris Bodman

    22 May

    Injury Recovery & The Optimism Scale - Top Sports Psychologist Chris Bodman

    Leading Sports & Performance Psychologist Chris Bodman shares elite athlete mental tools for handling injury recovery, how ‘realistic optimism’ could be your superpower, building purposeful reflection into your routine, and his ‘react or respond’ framework for handling life's setbacks. Chris also tells the story of his time helping my previous guest, former Team GB cyclist Vic Williamson, recover from her near-death accident in 2016. The full interview with Vic is available here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/24IsMUCRzmBXY2uXZF4oz0?si=68XdN03rQoSAYBDaBHZXQw

    28 min
  4. Harry Lightfoot - The Mantras That Got Us To The CrossFit Games

    12 May

    Harry Lightfoot - The Mantras That Got Us To The CrossFit Games

    CrossFit Games athlete Harry Lightfoot recounts nail-biting stories from elite competition on his rise to the top of the sport. We also talk about his coaching team’s performance mantras, figuring out his optimal ‘arousal’ state for competing, and how he’s feeling in the build up to this year's Semi Finals at the French Throwdown. In this video: * Building a coaching relationship around data, brutal honesty…and bromance! * The arousal curve and finding his optimal competition state * Performing under pressure and how being over-stimulated has led Harry to execution errors * Reminiscing on wild moments in competition * Hoping to qualify for the CrossFit Games at this year’s French Throwdown! About Harry Lightfoot:Harry Lightfoot is a 2x CrossFit Games athlete. He recently secured sponsorships with Adidas and Red Bull. He competes at the elite level and works closely with coach Mike Allen and the team at AOD Fitness. About The Opponents Podcast: Iona Roberts interviews elite athletes and high performers who share their extraordinary stories and mindset lessons - from the setbacks, mental toughness, resilience and breakthroughs that shaped who they are. We go deep into athlete mindset, sports psychology and the human stories behind elite sport and high performance. If training seriously is part of who you are, this show is for you.

    29 min
  5. Ultra Running, Extreme Endurance Challenges & Addiction Recovery - Chris Taylor

    17 Apr

    Ultra Running, Extreme Endurance Challenges & Addiction Recovery - Chris Taylor

    Running coach Chris Taylor is an ex-Royal Marine and the man who organises many of the extreme endurance challenges and world record attempts you may have seen including Spencer Matthews' 30 desert marathons in 30 days and Imo Boddy's 3 Peaks challenge. But before any of that, Chris was battling addiction and depression, planning his training around his drug use, and nearly didn't make it out the other side. If you enjoy this interview and would like to support the show, you can do so by leaving your feedback in the comments, and leaving a rating. Thank you!

    53 min
  6. HYROX Masterclass - Elite 15 Athlete, Zara Piergianni

    20 Mar

    HYROX Masterclass - Elite 15 Athlete, Zara Piergianni

    HYROX Elite 15 Athlete Zara breaks down what really determines HYROX performance - from running, pacing and HYROX race strategy to fitness vs execution, zone 2, threshold and VO2 max training, how to improve movements such as burpee broad jumps and wall balls, athlete mindset, race day nutrition and much more. This is an incredibly detailed HYROX masterclass for anyone wanting to improve their HYROX performance or perhaps transition into HYROX from another sport. We cover: - Common misconceptions about what actually determines performance in HYROX - Where races are won and lost - Time-saving strategies you can implement in your next race - How to structure your HYROX training across Zone 2, threshold, and high-intensity work - HYROX pacing and transitions - The mental side of HYROX - How to train your burpee broad jumps - How to prepare for race day sled issues - A wall balls tip to save your shoulders - Zara’s lifestyle, sleep, and nutrition rules that allows her to perform at the highest level... ..and much much more! If you enjoy this Masterclass and would like to help this show grow, please leave a rating. Thank you. #TheOpponentsPodcast #HYROX #HYROXTraining #HybridTraining #EnduranceTraining #FitnessPodcast #PerformanceMindset

    39 min
  7. What Really Happened At WIT - Dan Williams

    6 Mar

    What Really Happened At WIT - Dan Williams

    Dan Williams, Co-Founder of WIT Fitness, shares his extraordinary story of spotting the rise of fitness as a sport, growing WIT into a global, eight-figure fitness brand in 3 years, losing control of the company through investor and market challenges, and ultimately buying the brand back. We talk about the early days of WIT, the day Dan and his Co-Founder Sam pitched the idea of fitness as a sport in it's own right to Nike (!), the meteoric rise of WIT, the serious challenges that WIT then faced and what was really going on behind the scenes during those very difficult times. Dan also shares his predictions for the future of the fitness industry and some hugely valuable advice for any entrepreneurs and young brands entering the space. Dan is now working on a very exciting new concept call the Fifth - a high performance members club that leads with fitness, which will hopefully be opening in London in late 2026! To sign up for early access head to: www.thefifth-club.com

    49 min
  8. How Much Can Fitness Athletes Really Earn? - Sports Agents Cooper Marsh & Snorri Baron Jonsson (Virtual)

    20 Feb

    How Much Can Fitness Athletes Really Earn? - Sports Agents Cooper Marsh & Snorri Baron Jonsson (Virtual)

    Snorri and Cooper are top (competing!) Sports Agents and Athlete Managers within the niche sports space, representing athletes in sports such as CrossFit, Hyrox and weightlifting, with a TON of knowledge to share. This interview should be particularly interesting for: - Any young athletes thinking of pursuing a career in a niche sport like CrossFit, weightlifting or HYROX. - Any new brands wondering how athlete sponsorship works. - Anyone who has ever wondered what it’s like to be a sports agent. Some of the questions I asked Cooper and Snorri: - Just how important is social media for athletes to earn a living in niche sports? - How much can niche sports athletes potentially earn from brand deals? - What happens when a young athlete has their first conversation with an agent regarding representation? - How are athletes and brands matched up? - What’s it like being a sports agent? - How did Cooper and Snorri become sports agents? - Who are 2 athletes to watch out for in 2026?! If you enjoy this interview, you can support the show by leaving a rating. Thank you! #TheOpponentsPodcast #NicheSports #CrossFit #Hyrox #Weightlifting #AthleteManagement #SportsMarketing

    34 min
See All (18)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Lessons from people doing extraordinary things in sport, fitness and life. If you would like to help this show grow, please follow today. Thank you.

Information

  • Creator
    Iona Roberts
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Iona Roberts
  • Show Website
    The Opponents

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