Send us a text

Paula Peralta is a one of few Specialist Sports & Exercise Physiotherapist in the world who has worked in over a dozen World Cups, Commonwealth, Olympic and Paralympic games collectively over her career. Not only has she worked across multiple sports and various athletes within all these major tournaments, but she has also worked with both the Men’s (Boomers) and Women’s (Opals) Australian national basketball team and was part of the special group who went on to win an historic bronze medal with both teams. Paula takes us into the inner sanctum of those incredible moments as well as shares both the technical skills and personal attributes that have allowed her to excel in the world of high performance sport for over 20 years.

Highlights from the episode…

• Little may you know that Paula was a AIS netball scholarship holder and after suffering an early ACL injury this led her to be exposure to the cream of the crop of sports physios in Australia at the time.
• Having held lead positions in various sports and teams which has involved regular travel, a lot of pressure and long hours…How did you not burn out?
• Although she has had a career filled with many highlights, there are often many “costs” that accompany working in sport. How Paula re-frames these.
• How Paula secured her first role at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and shares insight of what it’s like to work at multiple Commonwealth, Paralympic and Olympic games.
• Paula provides unprecedented access to what it was like being part of both the Men’s and Women’s Basketball team Bronze medal winning Olympic games.
• What support services are available to those countries who attend the games who don’t have medical/physio support?
• Paula provides a rundown of the services, personnel and logistics of being able to provide 24 hour support for over 450 Australian athletes over the 16 day period at the Olympics games.
• How Paula manages her Opals players remotely when they are situated across the globe playing for their respective teams.
• Who gets final say? The decision making process when the national team and their respective clubs may have differences in opinion in the management of a player.
• What screening/monitoring metrics Paula uses with the Opals to evaluate injury risk, player availability,periodising training/game minutes etc.
• Is there a risk of being “institutionalised” when spending years working in high performance sport and not knowing any other way?
• Paula shares her excitement about the future of Para and Women’s sport and the opportunities for practitioners and athletes in this space.

People mentioned:

• Peter Blanch: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3FHpOBIanMmbQRkx9YjkUx
• Keren Faulkner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keren-faulkner-b56b0296/
• Kate Mahony: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5TthNoykn5kz4El5jjZxjL
• Andrea Mosler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-mosler-40872a37/

Paula Peralta contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-peralta-b49bbb73/
• X: https://x.com/peralta_pj

Host: Luis Resa

Contact me on:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-resa-a975196b/
• Email: luis.resa@outlook.com

Thanks for listening and please leave a review. If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode simply send me an email.

Send us a text

Alex Calder is an Australian Sports Scientist and S&C coach who has spent the last 6 years with one of the leading MLS franchises in the US. In addition to his work with Houston Dynamo FC he has worked in the college system across various sports as well as worked at Orlando SC (MLS) where he was responsible for the strength and conditioning of the playing squad that included Brazilian World Cup winner, Champions League winner and 2007 worlds best player (Ballon d'or) winner Kaka. In this conversation we chat about how a boy from Melbourne with no prior experience in professional sport, no contacts and the courage to buy a one way ticket to Boston was then able to build career most would envy in the top tier of football (Soccer) in the US.

Highlights from the episode…

• Alex pursued S&C initially wanting to improve his own strength and conditioning as a footballer.
• After retiring, Alex went all in and bought a one-way ticket to Boston with no job and no connections at the chance of establishing a career in high performance sport.
• He describes the first year in the US as “not for the feint hearted” and the lessons he learnt trying to get his foot into the door of sport.
• We discuss how the leaps in one’s development often are a product of being a little naive/ignorant and the value of engineering some naivety into ones decision making.
• Alex provides a step by step process of how he acquired a role as S&C coach in the US college system.
• Alex shares common pathways in the US for practitioners working in professional sporting roles and what sporting clubs look for in potential hires.
• Being an S&C Coach in the college system, day-to-day, facilities, remuneration, personnel, departments etc.
• Aside from the highlights, we discuss the costs of working in high performance sport and why he still does it?
• What it was like to work in his first MLS role with Orlando City SC, including highlights, challenges, lessons etc.
• We chat about being tested by athletes and how Alex navigated challenging situations with players and coaches and how being a chameleon in one’s approach is crucial.
• Ashley Jones “degrees of freedom” when it comes to programming athletes.
• How do you navigate a culture that may not resonate with S&C and get athletes to buy into doing gym work.
• Athletes currently are more intuitive and want to know “why” more than ever.
• When it comes to "Return To Play" what metrics Alex uses, who is involved and how the decision are made when it comes to progressing players at Houston Dynamo FC.
• When is it ok to push through pain and when we shouldn’t push through pain when it comes to progressing RTP.
• Alex speaks of the move to a new club and the past 6 years at Houston Dynamo FC.

People mentioned:

• Darren Burgess: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6RtvVQHvNNU4eRjJNQ7Mrz
• Adam Centofanti: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-centofanti-04224790/
• Ashley Jones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K58qwDLia2A
• Paul Caffery: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ireland11/

Alex Calder contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-calder-aa432480/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calder_05/
• Website: http://www.aussiecoachabroad.com/about
• Book: https://www.amazon.com.au/Peak-Performance-Soccer-Coaching-Training/dp/103206031X

Host: Luis Resa

Contact me on:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-resa-a975196b/
• Email: luis.resa@outlook.com

Thanks for listening and please leave a review. If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode simply send me an email.

Send us a text

Tim Gabbett is one of the prominent leaders having spent over 3 decades in high performance sport where both his research and expertise has impacted many around the globe in the area of load management and injury prevention. What some may not know is that he started his career struggling to find any job in sport and eventually went on to work with the Tasmanian Institute of Sport, Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) and the Brisbane Broncos (NRL). This is a story of someone who now spends his time consulting, training and presenting to some of the biggest names in world sport and through a lot of setbacks, uncertainty, perseverance and an unrivalled work ethic has gone on to be named in the top 25 most impactful sport scientist of all time.

Highlights from the episode…

• What inspired Tim to pursue a career in sport science during a time where there were no sports scientist jobs in the industry.
• Tim shares the number one thing early practitioners are missing when it comes to working in high performance sport.
• Even though he was degree qualified, Tim shares some of the struggles early in his career trying to get any job in sport and even having to be a labourer for a period just to support his wife and 3 kids.
• How Tim has dealt with pressure, setbacks, occasional doubt and uncertainty during his 30-year career.
• Having transitioned from QAS to the Brisbane Broncos Tim discusses the differences between “public sports” (institutes, academies of sport) and “Private sports” (professional sporting organisations).
• Tim shares why he chose to have a side hustle of consulting while working full time in sport and how it developed into full time consulting for various clubs around the world.
• With many looking to utilise their expertise and start up their own business, Tim shares some advice and cautionary tales around his transition into consultancy.
• We discuss the Acute:Chronic load research and chat about whether we actually know specifically why an athlete becomes more robust to injury? Is it the physical adaptations or mental adaptations?
• What moderators Tim has found that can help athletes cope with acute spikes in loads and if addressed could actually effect the outcome of injury.
• An effective way to avoid spikes in load is to avoid the preceding trough in training. Off-season and are we inevitably creating a trough leading into a spike a load?
• Do we put too much emphasis on reducing injuries in sport?
• “Do you want your athlete back quickly or do you want them back permanently?” What you might need to consider when returning a player back to play post injuries.
• Tim shares a special and funny story of his Dad’s response to years of work that went into finally publishing his research and what Tim learnt from that moment.
• As a sports scientist what percentage do you lean currently on data/statistics/measures versus intuition/gut feel/instinct when it comes to decision making in sport? His answer will surprise you!

People mentioned:

• Peter Blanch: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3FHpOBIanMmbQRkx9YjkUx

Tim Gabbett contact details:

• Website: https://gabbettperformance.com.au/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-gabbett-82466899/

Host: Luis Resa

Contact me on:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-resa-a975196b/
• Email: luis.resa@outlook.com

Thanks for listening and please leave a review. If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode simply send me an email.

Send us a text

Ebonie is a clinical researcher and her work has made her one of the leaders in the management of tendon injuries in the world. What people may not know is that she is also a sports physiotherapist who has worked for the Australian (AIS) and Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) and has serviced team Australia at multiple Commonwealth, Winter Olympic, Summer Olympic and Paralympic games. Ebonie has also worked in the performing arts with the Australian Ballet as well as spending 18 months touring with Disney’s Lion King stage production. In this conversation we take a rare deep dive into her personal and professional journey of how she's become one of the go to people for many of the worlds high performance teams when it comes to the treatment of tendons.

Highlights from the episode…

• What motivated Ebonie to pursue a career in sport after initially not being accepted to do physio at university.
• Having spent now over 15 years with the VIS, Ebonie describes what qualities they look for when hiring an exceptional practitioner.
• It’s not exercise prescription, massage, injury assessment that physios are most skilled in…its “physio CSI".
• We discuss the art of listening and the power of words. Why this is fundamental in athlete care.
• After several failed attempts to secure a role at the AIS. How Ebonie finally got a job with the AIS and what it was like to be mentored by some of Australia’s pioneers in sports medicine.
• We discuss volunteering and the challenge of not getting paid and how one can obtain experience and skills that others may not get when willing to do work for less.
• Although a well established leader in the field why Ebonie still volunteers and the benefits both her and the industry receive by her doing so.
• Ebonie provides an insight into her recent involvement in 2024 Paris Olympic Games including recruitment, HQ set up, day-to-day running, highlights etc.
• The power of developing your EQ (emotional intelligence) alongside your IQ when it comes to injury management.
• “If you listen hard enough your patient will tell you what’s wrong with them. If you really listen they will tell you how to fix them”.
• How Ebonie manages an acute tendon problem under the pressure, stress, time sensitivity and gravity of an athlete competing in an Olympic Games.
• “Tendons love load, what they hate is unmanageable load!”
• The biggest impact you have on your athletes symptoms is to get them to stop doing the provocative load…the problem is athletes are often mistaken what the provocative load is!
• How Ebonie has been able to stay at the pinnacle of sport while also being an incredible mother and partner.
• “Be evidence informed but not recipe driven”. The advantages and disadvantages of using research.

People mentioned:

• Steve Hawkins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-hawkins-06b195186/?originalSubdomain=au
• Peter Blanch: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3FHpOBIanMmbQRkx9YjkUx
• Sue Mayes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-mayes-am-19ab8861/
• Jill Cook: https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/jlcook

Ebonie Rio contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebonie-rio-436474224/?originalSubdomain=au
• La Trobe University: https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/erio

Host: Luis Resa

Contact me on:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-resa-a975196b/
• Email: luis.resa@outlook.com

Thanks for listening and please leave a review. If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode simply send me an email.

Send us a text

Pete is one of the leading sports physiotherapist and medical service managers in Australia. Having spent over 2 decades as part of an incredible sports medicine team at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) during its glory years, Pete has also gone on to work in leading roles with Cricket Australia, Swimming Australia and as Head Physiotherapist/Head of Medical Services for 2 different AFL clubs with the Essendon Bombers and the Brisbane Lions. This is a rare and insightful conversation with an often understated yet exceptional sports medicine practitioner with over 40 years experience at the pinnacle of high performance sports in Australia.

Highlights from the episode…

• Growing up in rural Queensland how Pete was able to get his first role in sport with the Geelong Cats FC in the VFL.
• How Pete secured a role with the AIS alongside Australia's pioneers in sports medicine, including Craig Purdum who arguably was the first full time physio working in sport in Australia.
• What the early days at the AIS were like. Pete describes the team as being a bunch of “Cowboys” who’s work in sports science and sports medicine went on to be world renowned.
• “Noggins” ’it’s significance when it comes to injury prevention and what the hell is a Noggin!
• Even though he has a background in biomechanics, why Pete says biomechanics may not be as important as we thought when it comes to injury risk profiling and prevention.
• “Resting a player is not a decision that doesn’t come with consequences”. Why resting players may be detrimental to injury prevention.
• How Pete transitioned from the AIS to Cricket Australia and what he learnt during his time with Australia’s number 1 sport.
• How Pete got a role with Essendon Bombers on the back of the clubs drug controversy.
• “Players don’t get better laying on beds”. An alternative approach to injury management that him and his team used at the Brisbane Lions that is widely adopted across the AFL today.
• The cardinal sin in sports medicine is injuries, Pete discusses why you shouldn't fear injuries when working in professional sport.
• In an industry filled with uncertainty around injuries, wins/losses, performances etc. how Pete was able to portray certainty when communicating with players, high performance staff and coaches.
• “It’s easy to sell fear!” Contrarian thinking and how as practitioners we should question our approach to injury management.
• “What happens on the field is not mutually exclusive to what happens off the field”. How variables detached from an injury can impact the success of return to sport.
• Outside of Pete’s clinical skills what other attributes has Pete found essential when working with elite athletes.

People mentioned:

• Craig Purdam: https://www.ersportsphysio.com.au/staff/craig-purdam/
• Justin Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincrow/
• Selwyn Griffith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/selwyn-griffith-83466439/
• Andrew Crowell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcrowelllions/?originalSubdomain=au

Peter Blanch contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-blanch-50900b106/

Host: Luis Resa

Contact me on:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-resa-a975196b/
• Email: luis.resa@outlook.com

Thanks for listening and please leave a review. If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode simply send me an email.

Send us a text

Carmen is a leading sports scientist and high performance director with a diverse background in high performance sport both in Australia and overseas. Whether it be spending time abroad studying at the world famous German Sports University Cologne, to working at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), to working in professional Rugby with the ACT Brumbies and the Brisbane Broncos, or as the Head of Performance for Perth Glory FC as well as spending 2 seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA, just to name a few, Carmen has been able to leverage each experience to further improve the performance of each of the athletes she's worked with. Carmen’s resume alone makes for an incredible conversation but it’s her ability to have navigated all these roles with humility, grace and an insatiable desire to help others succeed is what's most fascinating.


Highlights from the episode…

• Being a track runner herself and having a passion for science, pursing a career in high performance sport seemed an obvious fit.
• How Carmen got her first role in sport at the Victorian Institute of Sport and what she would do differently now when applying for roles in such a competitive industry.
• Don’t wait! Carmen shares an incredible story of how she secured a role with the Melbourne Rebels in the Super Rugby and the unconventional strategy she used.
• After a year at the AIS how Carmen secured a full time role with the ACT Brumbies and describes why she found her time there phenomenal.
• We chat about what she learnt from her mentor on "leadership".
• How a chance conversation on a sideline with the one Anthony Seibold led to Carmen being asked to join the Brisbane Broncos, NRL.
• The value of deliberately manufacturing ignorance in one’s thought process.
• How Carmen moved from Brisbane to Philadelphia to join the 76ers, NBA.
• How Carmen swiftly and effectively transitioned into her new role with the 76ers in a completely unfamiliar sport.
• As a sports scientist Carmen is exposed to endless data sets and she shares how she effectively analyses data to minimise falling victim to miss interpreting "cause and effect".
• Carmen shares what she feels is the most effective recovery modality is and it’s not what you think!
• Why Carmen chose to give up her dream job in the NBA for personal reasons and the challenges of balancing a career in sport and personal life.
• Carmen shares what’s like being a high performing mother in high performance sport.

People mentioned:

• Bryce Cavanagh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryce-cavanagh-60790162/
• Ben Serpell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benserpell/
• Simon Rice: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2NOUezYUtUXFUk53Ky4ZOK
• Kellyanne Redman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyanne-redman-phd-44787268/?originalSubdomain=au
• Paul Devlin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauldevlin81/?originalSubdomain=au
• Anthony Seibold: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Seibold

Carmen Colomer contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-colomer-253992a9/

Host: Luis Resa

Contact me on:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-resa-a975196b/
• Email: luis.resa@outlook.com

Thanks for listening and please leave a review. If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode simply send me an email.

Send us a text

Kelvin is one of the pioneers of athletic performance coaching with over 50 years experience in sport working with such organisations as British Athletics, Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS), Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos (NRL) and the London Broncos (UK Super League) to only name a few. In the industry it is hard fought to not have Kelvin’s influence brought up in any conversations with the current leaders in the field of high performance sport and having coached over 14 Olympic athletes over 7 Olympic Cycles, winning 5 out of the 7 Rugby League grand finals and to this day still continues to mentor, consult and provide advocacy for many in the industry, you can see why he is consider one of the godfathers of athletic performance coaching not just in Australia but the world.

Highlights from the episode…

• After meeting a former Team GB Track and Field (T&F) coach this set his path towards pursuing the goal of being a national T&F coach.
• Kelvin shares how he acquired the role as the first ever T&F coach at the AIS, his experience and why he describes it as the biggest mistake he ever made.
• After not having his contracted renewed by the AIS, Kelvin went on to coach several Australian record breaking athletes while working as a relief teacher and a bouncer at a night club.
• The unique strategies Kelvin put in place to structure a season long periodised S&C program during the semi-professional era of Rugby League.
• How Kelvin took what he learnt from coaching T&F athletes and implemented what was at the time a contrarian approach to S&C at the Canberra Raiders.
• “You got injured during motion, we’re going to mend you during motion.” The rehab process he used with Mal Meninga.
• “Most teams use pre-season to prepare for the season. At the Brisbane Broncos we used the pre-season and the season itself to prepare for the finals".
• “When coaching your athletes you’ve got to build roots for them to grow but ultimately you need to build wings for them to fly”.
• Kelvin shares his time at the QAS and the incredible practitioners who he worked with who have gone on to work with some of the best teams in the world.
• Explicit and Implicit instruction and how coaching athletes requires both.
• The stages of athletic progressions of General, Related and Specific, and how each stage is vital.
• Efficiency, Consistency and Resilience and how to implement each in a conditioning/rehab/injury prevention program.
• The importance of “Pedagogy” in training athletes.
• We discuss the challenges that currently exist in athletic programs with the growing trend in organisations to simply focus on chasing results/medals at the cost of long term athlete development.
• What Kelvin believes is the crucial skill set one needs to develop when working in high performance environments.

People mentioned:

• Frank Dick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRnsG4gXcdw
• Don Talbot: https://sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame-member/don-talbot/
• Bill Knowles: https://www.knowlesathletic.com/team-ka

Kelvin Giles contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelvin-giles-225b9818/
• Movement Dynamics Website: https://www.movementdynamics.com/

Host: Luis Resa

Contact me on:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-resa-a975196b/
• Email: luis.resa@outlook.com

Thanks for listening and please leave a review. If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode simply send me an email.

Send us a text

Mark has over 20 years experience in the industry working with various sports, roles and organisations across the globe. This has included working in the UK with the English Institute of Sport, Nike Athletics and as Head of Medical Services for England Cricket. He has also worked in Australia with Victorian Institute of Sport, Australian Institute of Sport and as Head Physiotherapist for the Geelong Cats (AFL). This is a rare and inspiring interview with someone who has been able to transition from a clinician to an executive role now with the QAS where he is responsible for over 120 staff who provide high performance support to over 500 athletes in preparation for the upcoming LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games.

Highlights from the episode…

• After sustaining multiple knee injuries as a promising volleyball player this inspired him to pursue a career in high performance sport.
• In a chance encounter Mark worked with leading tendinopathy experts early in his career which little did he know was the catalysts to future opportunities.
• Having worked at the VIS, AIS and being offered a dream role with an AFL club, Mark chose to give it all up to backpack around the UK & he explains why!
• We discuss the value of gaining novel experiences outside of conventional clinical professional development that can benefit you as a clinician.
• After arriving in the UK with no job, how Mark secured a role working with the world's best track sprinters.
• Mark reflects on a story of how he provided critical advice to an elite athlete who consequently went on to sustain a devastating injury the next day, and what he learnt from that experience.
• Despite the advice and the ensuing consequence to the world’s fastest man, interestingly the team still wanted Mark to continue providing physiotherapy services for the team.
• We discuss how the value of a physiotherapist may be gauged by attributes that exist outside of one’s clinical skills.
• How Mark secured one of the most coveted roles as Head of Medical Services for the England Cricket Team.
• Mark returned back to Australia and secured a role with Geelong Cats (AFL).
• We discuss the fallacy in the industry that acquiring more degrees (Bachelors, Masters, PhD) is what gets you a job in sport…its not!
• 3 questions Mark asks himself when recruiting top talent.
• QAS is currently in search for various performance staff and Mark shares details around those opportunities.
• Why Mark pivoted away from a predominately athlete facing role to a consultant/executive role and highlights some considerations he had and what others may consider when pivoting.

Mark Young contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-young-b2aaa520/
• QAS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qldacademysport/
• QAS website: https://www.qasport.qld.gov.au/
• QAS jobs: https://www.sportspeople.com.au/jobs/classification/medicine-science-psychology-physio-strength-conditioning-athlete-services-jobs?q=QAS

People mentioned:

• Michael Snelling: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5nCo1yeak0V4NLNN9itlXZ
• Peter Blanch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-blanch-50900b106/
• Jill Cook: https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/jlcook

Host: Luis Resa

Contact me on:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-resa-a975196b/
• Email: luis.resa@outlook.com

Thanks for listening and please leave a review. If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode simply send me an email.