I had the honour recently of checking out Jamie Peacock MBE’s keynote speech – No White Flag.
It’s an inspiring story of local lad done good, and really defines what it takes to be a champion.
Now, even if you don’t want to be a sporting hero there was some lessons that apply equally to health and fitness, business and life.
I came away from the event feeling inspired to up my game (we all need that motivation once in awhile!), so wanted to share a few of my takeaways from the night;
Ordinary to extra-ordinary – the key is in the extra mile
Now, we’re talking about a local guy from the big apple (aka Bramley) go from a self-confessed ‘ordinary super league player’ to leading Great Britain as captain for 8 years. He has become one of the fittest and mentally tough player the game has ever seen.
What were some of his keys to success?
When you’re not getting results, look to what’s in your control
It’s easy to blame external circumstances when things don’t seem to be going right. But early in his career when Jamie was doing everything his coach was telling him and still not improving he decided to focus on developing his mental toughness. This was one thing he had 100% control over.
What did that look like? While most people were snuggled up comfortably on the sofa on Christmas morning, Jamie was out running 10k in shorts and t-shirt.
Why? Because he knew that his competitors wouldn’t be.
Because he wanted the edge he took advantage of an opportunity to improve while others were resting.
There’s very little traffic on the extra mile
Another story that stuck with me was about the 400m sprint drills his coach made him and his team run.
During the sprints, Jamie noticed many of his colleagues must of heard something different. Because while he was still sprinting flat out to the finish line many of his teammates were coasting the last 10 meters.
But because he gave it 100%, when it came to game time he often had the edge over his opponents. They’d made the mistake of coasting the last 10 meters in training too.
Personal improvement
Even once he’d started to see success he didn’t rest on his laurels. Jamie had to keep switching his game up as opponents adapted to his playing style.
As a result of his continual development (and incredible work ethic) he managed to stay on top of his game for over 17 years and become a true sporting champion.
What if you don’t want to be a sporting hero?
It’s likely you’re not looking to become one of the top sporting athletes around. But the lessons learned can be applied to improving your health and fitness too.
You just need to figure out what your extra mile looks like.
Maybe it’s completing one more repetition when you think you need to give up.
Maybe it’s keeping going for that last 5 seconds on the punchbag when you’re brain’s telling you to ease off.
Maybe it’s taking the 5 extra minutes to nip to the shop and grab a healthy lunch rather than picking something from the vending machine.
Just remember, these small victories add up over time leading to a fitter, healthier body and mind.
Summary
I left the event feeling totally inspired. Not to be a rugby champ. But to apply myself and when I set a goal commit to giving it 100%.
You build physical and mental muscle by gradually challenging yourself in small ways, collecting small wins. As you start getting used to success take on bigger challenges. Each will feel uncomfortable at the time, but with each success you grow, develop and expand your comfort zone.
Highly recommend getting to one of these talks next time it’s on.
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