We were extremely lucky to have returned to Fulham FC Academy, with two more of our incredible inspirational Ambassadors, who spent two evenings, talking all about how their Paralympic journeys relate to the Academy players own sporting journeys so far.

Dan Powell and Emma Wiggs MBE, who spoke to the U12, U13, U14 and U15 Academy players at Fulham Football Club, about being resilient when dealing with setbacks and overcoming barriers in sport, delivered a very engaging conversational style presentation and worked with the players to draw out the key areas they want to know about, in order to help them and the team they are currently working with.

As a Paralympic visually impaired Judo player, Dan started off by talking to the players about the barriers he faces due to his visual impairment, but more importantly explaining to them about how that has never really stopped him in the past and that it is so easy to make excuses about what and how you are doing something. Instead, Dan has learnt to adapt and to take on any challenge that he faces, which was an interesting perspective for the players to listen to, who often blame external factors for their performance, rather than just controlling what they can control and going out on to the pitch, thinking they are going to win. Dan highlighted how he always loved sport from a young age, as he believed that it “levelled out the playing field”. On Dan’s journey to elite success, he has also faced some crippling setbacks and had has his own confidence and sometimes arrogance challenged. As a talented athlete, Dan has always used this as an excuse to not always prepare properly for his major competitions, and this is something he really wanted the Academy players to think about in their own games, especially when they are trying to make it to the Fulham FC senior squad. The Academy players could relate to Dan’s really personal stories, as with Dan’s and their own success journeys, there will always be setbacks such as injury and not being selected for a competition, but the most important thing Dan wanted them to do, is to always find a way through and not simply give up.

Emma Wiggs MBE, is an incredibly experienced Paralympic Para-canoeist, who also really inspired the Academy players with not only her sporting story but also her tips and advice around mindset and how this has been a huge factor, in her life as a Paralympian and also within the environment she currently works in within her team. When talking about her transition into Para - canoe, Emma talked to the players on the call about finding the path that works for you and playing to those strengths but also that there is always a different route in your future and that when doors can open for you, you must grab every opportunity with both hands to get the most out of it.  As an individual athlete in a very competitive small team environment, Emma spoke about her own preparation routines and how important it is to make sure that before every game or training session, the players have prepared well, so when they do get nervous, they can take a step back and think, “I have prepared well for this, and I’m going to show up and do what I have been trained to do.” Throughout her presentation, Emma portrayed a strong message of creating your own journey and making sure you put your mind to it, so you can achieve what you set out to do and avoid disappointment. Emma said…

“I feel stronger and more able than ever even though I am disabled, because I worked out what my strengths were, and what made me better than everyone else and I used them to my advantage!”

Both Ambassadors made this programme very interactive for the players and got them involved by asking them questions, such as how they would describe lockdown in one word and getting them to think in depth about Emma’s “stop, start and continue”.  Both Dan and Emma also got the Academy players thinking about why they need to have other options other than football and to make sure that they have other plans. In order to become a successful athlete, they have to find the things in their life that add to their identity and focus on the things that make them happy, as that in turn makes them a better athlete. Dan and Emma wanted the players to, “find something that you work for that is more than just for yourself, but for the team, the support network and the important people in your lives.”

The U14 and U15 Academy players asked some great questions, some of the best ones were.

“How does your disability affect your performance?”

“What three things have you learnt from your sporting journey which you can now take into your everyday life?”

“Dan, do you think Ninja Warrior was scarier than the Paralympics?”

“What is your relationship like with your coaches?”

“Have you done anything to build your relationship with your coaches?”

“Have you got any specific strategies you use to reinvigorate yourself?” 

“Do you have a nutritionist and what is your advice for us around nutrition?” 

“How have you dealt with parental pressure and has it affected you and your performance?” 

“How has lockdown effected your training?” 

“Can you tell me more about your sport and your disability?” 

“When you are stepping into a trial situation, what are the things you can control in that situation?” 

“When you don’t get selected what can you learn from that?”

“How do you see the other players as team mates rather than just competition?”

Dan and Emma’s final message to the players was. “Find out what you can do, what you can choose, what you can control and work on that to be the best person and the best player you can be!”

We are extremely grateful to Fulham Football Club for allowing us to come and speak to their Academy players in these brilliant presentation and Q&A sessions. We believe that it is important that young aspiring sport stars can learn from and look up to elite sport stars and role models from different sports, as they can learn so much that can help them in their own lives. As these Academy players are young and just starting out on their sporting journeys, it is important to support them and help motivate and encourage them to keep their options open when it comes to sport, as not every sporting journey is successful and other doors may open if they say yes to every positive opportunity.

Thank you so much to the staff and players at Fulham Football Club, for helping to organise this programme, we really hope our incredible Ambassadors have inspired your young stars and we hope we can work together again in the future.

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The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We provide a support network for young people by harnessing the power of positive sporting role models. The Mintridge Foundation assists young people of all ages, abilities, and physical capabilities to develop confidence and resilience, and creates awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing through sport.

Our team of Ambassadors - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual - work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK. Starting with visits including assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions tailored to each organisation’s requirements, our ambassadors can then provide one- on- one remote mentoring in a safeguarded environment, delivered via technology such as FitSwarm and Playwaze to build a lasting legacy for individuals.

The Mintridge Foundation’s successes demonstrate the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness just through participation. Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.

To find out more about the Mintridge Foundation, please contact Alex Wallace.

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