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What happens when your pro sports career ends with a tweet?

Tom Morton found out the hard way. While playing rugby in New Zealand, he saw on social media that his contract with Sale Sharks wasn’t being renewed. No phone call. No meeting. Just a public post that blindsided him completely.

From training with England’s under-20s to waking up across the world with no contract and no plan, Tom shares how he rebuilt not just his career, but also his mindset.

We talk about what it’s really like to start over, why feedback in sport hits different, what the corporate world could learn from it, and how he went from rugby boots to boardrooms without losing who he is in the process.

In this episode, we talk about:

- Why sport doesn’t prepare you for silence, stillness, or starting over

- The brutal moment Tom learned his rugby career was over — via social media

- How a career in finance became Plan B (without a university degree)

- The role of family, self-awareness, and timing in building a new identity

- What mentoring young athletes taught him about letting go — and moving forward

- Why the corporate world still struggles to give feedback — and how sport gets it right

💎 GOLDEN NUGGET:

🎧 Who this episode is for:

• Current athletes who are starting to think, “What’s next?”
• Anyone navigating a big life or career shift
• Leaders curious about what sport teaches that corporate doesn’t
• Listeners who love a raw, human story of loss, clarity, and unexpected reinvention

Ready to explore your own second act after sport? Connect with Ryan Gonsalves and the 2NDWind Academy to discover how your athletic experience can become your professional advantage here: www.2ndwind.io