Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves

Ryan Gonsalves
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Former professional footballer Ryan Gonsalves dives deep into the unique challenges and triumphs of transitioning from elite sports to fulfilling careers. Through candid conversations with athletes, the Career Clarity Podcast explores their inspiring journeys, uncovering lessons on identity, resilience, and reinvention. Whether you're an athlete or simply seeking inspiration for your next chapter, this podcast will empower you to unleash your second wind.  Ryan Gonsalves transitioned from professional football with Huddersfield Town in the English Footbaal League, to a career in financial services by leveraging his adaptability, transferable skills, and willingness to embrace new opportunities.  While playing semi-professional football, he pursued education and began working at GE Money Capital Bank, where he gained global experience and developed expertise in Lean Six Sigma and process improvement. His sports background often helped him stand out during interviews, creating memorable connections with hiring managers.Later, Ryan joined HSBC in Hong Kong, where he worked for nearly a decade in consumer banking, focusing on global projects such as researching homeownership behaviors. His ability to understand consumer insights and behavior became a cornerstone of his success in the financial sector. After over 20 years in banking (including back in Australia at AMP, Westpac, COmmenwealth Bank and NSW Treasury, Ryan transitioned into career coaching, inspired by helping fellow athletes navigate their post-sports careers. Ready to take the next step? Connect with Ryan at letschat@2ndwind.io.

  1. 3d ago

    201: Vivien Olatunji - The Grief That Comes With Leaving Sport

    Send us Fan Mail For years, Vivien Olatunji's life revolved around athletics. She represented England at under-20 level, was called up to the GB under-20 relay squad and had her sights set on competing at the highest level. But pursuing that dream also meant working to fund her own career, rushing from the office to training, dealing with injuries, changing coaches and navigating financial and family pressures. Then COVID disrupted everything. Training groups changed, facilities closed and Vivien eventually lost the coach who had helped her find her spark again. By the summer of 2021, there was no big retirement announcement. Vivien simply stopped competing. In this episode, she talks about the grief that followed, going to therapy and having to work out who she was when she was no longer “Vivien the athlete.” Today, Vivien works in fintech, coaches and is building Track & Fits, a platform created to amplify athletes' voices beyond the stadium and help them explore what comes next. What You’ll Hear: Vivien's journey from promising young sprinter to representing EnglandWhat it really took financially to keep competingBalancing work, university and elite-level trainingHow injuries, changing coaches and COVID affected her careerWhy she quietly stopped competing in 2021Grieving the Olympic dream and the person she thought she would becomeHow therapy helped her through the transitionRealising she didn't have to erase “Vivien the athlete”Turning skills from the track into skills she could use at workWhy athletes should start exploring life outside sport before retirementGolden Nugget “I eventually realised that I didn't actually lose my identity, I just had to find a way to expand on that.” Want to go deeper? If you are looking for career clarity for your next step, visit www.2ndwind.io to learn more or book a consult.

  2. Oct 20

    200: Desleigh Owusu & Finn Alexander - The Career Question Most Athletes Avoid

    Send us Fan Mail Ryan sits down with triple jumper Desleigh Owusu and former Australian sailing team athlete Finn Alexander to explore two different stages of that journey. Desleigh is still competing while balancing around 20 to 25 hours of training with 25 hours of work each week, while Finn has recently transitioned out of elite sailing and into project management and consulting. They talk about balancing sport with work and study, making better use of athlete well-being support, recognising the skills built through elite sport, and why having something outside sport can make the eventual transition easier. What You’ll Hear: How Desleigh balances elite athletics with a 25-hour working weekWhy Finn studied alongside his sailing careerThe role well-being support can play beyond an athlete's performanceThe financial and logistical reality of funding an Olympic campaignHow Desleigh has built meaningful work alongside her sporting careerWhy Finn started having coffee conversations when he didn't know what career he wantedLearning to recognise and communicate transferable skills from sportWhy having an identity outside sport can make retirement less dauntingGolden Nugget “I actually really now understand that I'm a person before I'm an athlete.” Want to go deeper? If you are looking for career clarity for your next step, visit www.2ndwind.io to learn more or book a consult.

  3. Oct 13

    199: Ronald Clark: Leaving Pro Basketball and Why I Started Planning My Exit 4 Years Early

    Send us Fan Mail Ronald spent 12 years playing professional basketball across Europe, but he knew the game couldn't last forever. Rather than waiting until retirement to figure out what came next, he started preparing four years before his final season. While still playing professionally in Finland, he went back to university, earned another degree, built his technology skills and began developing a network outside basketball. In this episode, Ronald shares how that preparation helped him move from professional sport into technology and eventually cybersecurity, where he now works as a Chief Information Security Officer. What You’ll Hear: How Ronald went from college basketball to a 12-year professional career in EuropeWhy he always knew basketball would only be one part of his lifeHow he continued learning while playing professionallyWhy he started preparing for retirement four years before he stopped playingGoing back to university while still competingBuilding credibility outside of his identity as a basketball playerWhy networking became an important part of his transitionAdjusting his communication style to build a career in FinlandGolden Nugget “A lot of guys will wait until it's over and then start thinking about, okay, hey, what am I going to do now? But, you know, I intentionally planned my departure.” Want to go deeper? If you are looking for career clarity for your next step, visit www.2ndwind.io to learn more or book a consult.

  4. Oct 6

    198: Dr Misia Gervis - “Football Is What You Do. It’s Not Who You Are”

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when an athlete has spent most of their life being valued for one thing, and suddenly they can’t do it anymore? In this episode, Ryan speaks with sports psychologist Dr Misia Gervis about the psychological side of elite sport, from the environments athletes grow up in to the identity challenges that can surface when their careers end. They discuss why some coaching practices can do more harm than good, how athletes can learn to see themselves beyond their performance, and why preparing for retirement needs to begin long before the final game. What You’ll Hear: Why performance is about the mind as much as the bodyWhen “mental toughness” can cross the line into harmful coachingHow sporting environments shape an athlete’s identityWhy losing that identity can make retirement so difficultThe personal qualities athletes often fail to recognise in themselvesWhy coaches and families have an important role in preparing athletes for transitionWhy conversations about life after sport need to start earlyGolden Nugget “Football is what you do. It’s not who you are.” Want to go deeper? If you are looking for career clarity for your next step, visit www.2ndwind.io to learn more or book a consult.

  5. Sep 29

    197: Cathleen Santoso: Being Good Enough to Go Pro, But Choosing Something Else

    Send us Fan Mail For years, Cathleen Santoso had a clear goal: play professional golf. She represented New South Wales and Australia, played college golf at the University of Oregon and had the funding and support to pursue the LPGA Tour. But when the opportunity finally arrived, Cathleen realized she wasn't excited by it anymore. In this episode, Cathleen shares why she chose not to turn pro, despite everyone around her expecting her to, and how an internship helped her discover that she could enjoy something outside of golf. She and Ryan also talk about identity after sport, learning to trust your own decisions, building a career through curiosity and conversations, and why figuring out what you want next sometimes starts with knowing what you don't want now. What You’ll Hear  Why Cathleen chose golf at just 11 years old  Playing for Australia and competing at the University of Oregon  The phone call that made her realize she didn't want to turn pro  Why telling her dad was one of the hardest parts of the decision  How her Nike internship opened her eyes to a career outside golf  Adjusting to life without competition, coaches and a structured training schedule  Using coffee conversations to explore new career opportunities  Why knowing your values can make difficult career decisions easier  How she approached her latest career transition Golden Nugget “It doesn't mean you have to know what's next. It just means you know what is right now.” Want to go deeper? If you are looking for career clarity for your next step, visit www.2ndwind.io to learn more or book a consult.

  6. Sep 22

    196: Dr. Halaina Winter - From Australian Ballet To Doctor Of Psychology

    Send us Fan Mail Dr. Halaina Winter spent eight years with the Australian Ballet after leaving school at 15 to pursue the career she had trained for most of her life. But even after achieving that dream, part of her knew she wanted something different.  In this episode, Halaina shares what it was like to walk away from ballet without a clear plan, spend several years figuring out who she was outside of dance, and eventually rebuild her career as a clinical psychologist and business owner. She and Ryan also explore the pressure of starting again, the discipline she carried from ballet into her studies, and why the different chapters of a career don't always make sense until much later. What You’ll Hear  Why Halaina walked away from ballet despite achieving her childhood dream  Starting again in Germany without a clear career plan  Going from professional dancer to clinical psychologist  The pressure of working while completing multiple degrees  How ballet shaped the way she approaches work and high performance  Why career transitions don't need to follow a straight line Golden Nugget “Your whole story is so much greater than that instant, than that moment.” Want to go deeper? If you are looking for career clarity for your next step, visit www.2ndwind.io to learn more or book a consult.

  7. Sep 15

    195: Ambika Pande: From Professional Tennis Dreams to Finding a New Identity

    Send us Fan Mail For most of her life, Ambika Pande knew exactly how to introduce herself. She was a tennis player. She represented India internationally, competed on the junior circuit, won tournaments overseas and eventually moved to the US on a full scholarship to play Division I tennis. The plan was to use those years to develop her game and then turn professional. Then injuries started changing the plan. A torn rotator cuff and labrum led to surgery, rehab and eventually another shoulder injury. As the possibility of playing professionally began slipping away, Ambika realized she wasn’t only losing tennis. She was losing the way she had defined herself since she was 10 years old. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Ambika to talk about that period, the three difficult years that followed, and how she eventually found her way into a completely different world of startups, fintech, investing and product. What You’ll Hear in This Episode How Ambika went from winning junior tournaments to representing India internationallyWhy she chose Division I college tennis as her route towards going proHow a serious shoulder injury changed the direction of her careerThe moment she realized the tennis dream was getting away from herWhy losing sport also felt like losing her identityThe anger and resentment she carried after returning homeWhy working in sport wasn’t the answer she expected it to beHow rediscovering music, reading and other interests helped her find parts of herself outside tennisWhy an MBA gave her permission to try things she had never considered beforeHow an opportunity in venture capital eventually led her into fintech, strategy, investing and productThe skills from tennis she still uses when making decisions in uncertain environmentsWhy she now believes athletes need to build an identity beyond their sport GOLDEN NUGGET: “You’re more than just the sport you play. You’re more than just the athlete.”  Want to go deeper? If you are looking for career clarity for your next step, visit www.2ndwind.io to learn more or book a consult.

  8. Sep 9

    194: Tyler Edwards - Life After Sport and Letting Go of Perfection Without Losing Your Drive.

    Send us Fan Mail What separates great athletes when physical ability alone is no longer enough? In this episode of 2nd Wind, Ryan speaks with sport and exercise psychologist Tyler about the mental side of performance, from managing negative self-talk and perfectionism to handling mistakes, pressure and the uncertainty of career transition. In this episode, we discuss: Why the mental side of performance is often overlooked in sportTyler’s experience of burnout and the impact of athletic identityHow thoughts, feelings and behaviours influence performanceWhy perfectionism and fear of mistakes can work against athletesManaging negative self-talk with the Three C’s: Catch, Check and ChangeHow these mental performance tools can help athletes navigate career transition and life beyond sport Golden Nugget “Perfection doesn’t exist. It’s not physically possible to achieve that. But do we try to aspire to reach those levels? Yeah, of course we do.” Want to go deeper? If you are looking for career clarity for your next step, visit www.2ndwind.io to learn more or book a consult.

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Former professional footballer Ryan Gonsalves dives deep into the unique challenges and triumphs of transitioning from elite sports to fulfilling careers. Through candid conversations with athletes, the Career Clarity Podcast explores their inspiring journeys, uncovering lessons on identity, resilience, and reinvention. Whether you're an athlete or simply seeking inspiration for your next chapter, this podcast will empower you to unleash your second wind.  Ryan Gonsalves transitioned from professional football with Huddersfield Town in the English Footbaal League, to a career in financial services by leveraging his adaptability, transferable skills, and willingness to embrace new opportunities.  While playing semi-professional football, he pursued education and began working at GE Money Capital Bank, where he gained global experience and developed expertise in Lean Six Sigma and process improvement. His sports background often helped him stand out during interviews, creating memorable connections with hiring managers.Later, Ryan joined HSBC in Hong Kong, where he worked for nearly a decade in consumer banking, focusing on global projects such as researching homeownership behaviors. His ability to understand consumer insights and behavior became a cornerstone of his success in the financial sector. After over 20 years in banking (including back in Australia at AMP, Westpac, COmmenwealth Bank and NSW Treasury, Ryan transitioned into career coaching, inspired by helping fellow athletes navigate their post-sports careers. Ready to take the next step? Connect with Ryan at letschat@2ndwind.io.

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