This Monday, I met with the Endurance boys squad at Aspire Academy in Doha, Qatar. Aspire Academy was founded in 2004 with the goal to find and develop the best young male Qatari athletes, whilst also providing them with high quality secondary school education. The kids were all extremely welcoming and kind. It was inspiring to hear them asking so many thoughtful and well articulated questions regarding our sport.
We discussed the mental aspect of training. How to cope when times get tough and how to really push yourself within sessions to get the best results. A lot of the young boys were very enthusiastic but perhaps don’t realise the real effort it takes to become successful and the sacrifices you perhaps have to make along the way.
I would like to thank Aspire Academy for inviting me in to talk with the squad! I thoroughly enjoyed my time and still can’t believe what an amazing facility is on offer to these students – it’s an athletes dream! With the World Championships coming to Doha in 2019, I am more than certain a few of these young stars will be making their names, on home soil!
Good luck for next season!
