Episode 13 finds Jason talking with Para-cycling Double World Champion and Swifty ambassador Jon Gildea about his journey as part of the British Cycling Team and also in setting up his own business. They cover how his past experiences have shaped his mindset both on and off the track along with how his priorities and goals have changed as he gets older.
Through the discussion, we also get an insight into the type of diet and training regime it takes for a world-class athlete, as well as the way he balances the mental and physical pressures of performing at such a high level whilst simultaneously running a business.
- Jon’s background both as a Paracyclist and as a businessman 02:00
- The story of how Jon started racing and got onto the British Cycling team 06:09
- The accident that broke Jon’s leg and his recovery 11:52
- Managing time between running a business, being part of the British Cycling team and spending quality time with your family 19:40
- How Jon broke his neck and how he uses these past experiences to push himself forward 28:14
- The changing definition of success as you grow older 32:02
- Dealing with the stress of running a business and learning to manage it 33:55
- The importance of family and looking after yourself as you get older 40:38
- Jon’s diet and how he approaches nutrition 44:26
- The training regime of a professional cyclist and how to balance this with recovery 50:06
- British Cycling and what has contributed to the success of the team 58:10
- Managing the media side of being a world-class athlete, and balancing if you want to be known or not 01:01:10
- The impact of Jon’s father on his career, understanding the power of his determination and how he’s taken lessons from that relationship into his own fatherhood 01:03:45
- Conflicting ideas behind ‘fame’ and wanting to make a positive difference 01:15:07
- Innovation, the SwiftyCARBON and the impact of graphene 01:17:29
- Jon’s experience with his Swifty, how the low impact nature of an adult kick scooter helps him when he’s having issues walking 01:19:52
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Hear more about the mindset of a top-level athlete in The Swifty Podcast #10 with Swifty Ambassador and GB Para-Canoeist Jack Eyers