Best In The World With Richard Parr

“On the ice it’s a battle.” Jan Blokhuijsen was part of the Netherlands team that won the men’s speed skating team pursuit event at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. On this week’s Best in the World with Richard Parr, Jan is asked about the difficulty of racing on a team with his rivals. He talks about his relationship with 3x Olympic Champion Sven Kramer. Plus he gives his side of the story on Jorrit Bergsma withdrawing as a substitute from the gold winning team. Also on the podcast the Dutch skater explains his training routine and talks about reaching a ‘state of flow’. You will also find out how Jan met his model fiancée using social media. You can follow Jan on Instagram at jan_blokhuijsen  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Want to know how mathematics and science can help you to succeed at swimming? Olympic champion Misty Hyman tells us about her winning formula on this week’s Best in the World with Richard Parr pocast. The innovative American shocked the World when she took gold at the 2000 Sydney games in the 200 metres butterfly event. Recently working as an assistant coach for Arizona State University, Misty talks to Richard about working with Michael Phelps’ coach Bob Bowman. The former World Record holder is fascinating on the mental side of sports in this programme. Particularly on reaching the optimal state of mind and getting in the zone. Diet, recovery and travel are also all included in the conversation. You can continue to follow Misty’s journey at mistyhyman.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Natasha Watley was part of the United States softball team that won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics. On this episode of the Best in the World with Richard Parr, Natasha talks about the difficulty of retiring and even hints at a comeback. The American is coaching in Japan and discusses the differences in culture, language, food and playing style. With softball retuning to the Tokyo Olympics, Natasha reveals her disappointment of not being able to compete at the 2012 and 2016 games. The Natasha Watley Foundation is also discussed on the show and you can find out more about it at http://natashawatley.com. Natasha is also on Instagram and Twitter at @natashawatley29.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Freestyle skiing Olympic Champion Jonny Moseley joins us on this week’s Best in the World with Richard Parr. Jonny took gold in the moguls event in the Nagano games in 1998. He missed out on a medal in the 2002 games in Salt Lake City where he performed the Dinner Roll trick. We talk about Jonny being an innovator in the sport on this week’s programme. Jonny is now launching his own snack food line called Mighty Iota (mightyiota.com). On the podcast he tells us how being an Olympic champion helps him in his new business. Richard also talks to Jonny about fear, marketing and if he ever officially retired. The former Saturday Night Live host now has his own web series called Jonny Moseley’s Wildest Dreams. You can watch the slackline episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMR4E991gpg Jonny is also on Twitter and Instagram @jonnymoseley and you can find more about him at jonnymoseley.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Phillip Dutton is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist in team eventing. The equestrian rider won at the 1996 and 2000 games. Last year at Rio he got his first individual medal, earning bronze. Phillip is our guest on this week’s Best in the World with Richard Parr. Phillip explains to Richard why he went from representing Australia to the United States. He talks about putting together a winning team, coping with nerves and how nutrition for horses has changed. He also discusses his relationship with his different horses. You can find out more about Phillip and his farms at phillipdutton.com. Richard also talks about 99 designs on the programme. You can check the out here: http://ninetyninedesigns.7eer.net/c/347631/185967/3172  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 2002 Jochem Uytdehaage broke World Records in the 5km and 10km speed skating events to win two gold medals. This week he is our guest on the Best in the World with Richard Parr. The Dutch skater talks about the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual sides of being an Olympic champion. The 2x World Champion explains to Richard his thoughts on having a balanced life. Jochem discusses the successes and failures throughout his career, in particular what went wrong after his victories at Salt Lake City in 2002. You can learn more about Jochem on his website www.deuytdhaaging.nl. He’s also on Twitter and Instagram with the same handle @uytdehaage.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our first cross-country skiers on the Best in the World with Richard Parr is considered one of the greatest of all time. Charlotte Kalla won gold in the 10km freestyle event at the 2010 Vancouver games and in the 4 x 5km relay at the 2014 Sochi games. The Swedish skier talks about choosing to train by herself rather than with the rest of the national team. Charlotte discusses her training, rest and recovery routines on the programme. The 2 x World Champion also explains why February 15 is an important day in her life, how she copes with stress and what it’s like to have an airport named after her. She also talks about her preparations for the 2018 Winter Olympics. You can follow Charlotte on instagram @kalla_87.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Theresa Zabell won Sailing gold in the 470 class at both the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. Theresa is our guest on this episode of the Best in the World with Richard Parr. The 5-time World Champion now runs Fundacion Ecomar, which teaches children about sailing and the environment. She has also worked in the European Parliament. We talk about this on the podcast. The Spaniard discusses her disappointment of not being selected for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Richard asks what it was like for Theresa to compete in front of her home fans in Barcelona in 1992. Plus Theresa talks about raising sponsorship for her sailing team. You can find more about Fundacion Ecomar at fundacionecomar.org and Theresa at tzabell.org.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

2016 Pole Vault Olympic Champion Katerina Stefanidi joins us on this edition of the Best in the World with Richard Parr. Katerina talks about her husband being her coach, what they changed ahead of winning Olympic gold and her confidence ahead of this year’s World Championships. The Greek athlete admits that she is scared of heights, talks about flipping houses and studying at Stanford. Katerina also tells Richard about growing up in an athletic family, changes she has made to her diet and the experience of the Athens Olympics. You can continue to follow Katerina’s journey on instagram @ivault_kat on Twitter @KatStefanidi  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kelly Clark won gold in the halfpipe at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The snowboarder explains on this week’s Best in the World with Richard Parr why she is just as proud of her two bronze medals (2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics) as she is of her gold. Also on the programme Kelly talks about singing before competing, her recovery routine and travelling. The American tells Richard about how she copes with injuries and how her preparations are going for the 2018 Winter Olympics. The Kelly Clark Foundation provides youth with the resources and opportunities to achieve their highest potential through snowboarding. You can learn more about the foundation at www.kellyclarkfoundation.org. You can follow Kelly on twitter @Kellyclarkfdn ‏  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With her last throw in the competition Michelle Carter became the Olympic Shot Put Champion in Rio de Janeiro last year. Michelle relives that moment on this week’s Best in the World with Richard Parr podcast. Confidence becomes the keyword of her conversation with Richard. Michelle discusses her ‘You Throw Girl Sports Confidence Camp’. The American talks about coping with hypothyroidism and how make-up keeps her confident. We also learn about Michelle’s family including her rivalry with her sister and her relationship with her dad. Her father, Michael Carter, is her coach and a former Olympic silver medalist in shot put as well as a three-time NFL Super Bowl winner. If you would like to learn even more about Michelle head to shotdiva.com and you can follow her on twitter @shotdiva.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 1992, Joe Jacobi became an Olympic Champion canoeist. Along with Scott Strausbaugh, they claimed gold in the C-2 event in Barcelona. They were the first American team to capture gold in whitewater slalom. This week Joe is Richard’s guest on the Best in the World. Joe explains to Richard that a flowing river is a great metaphor for life. He talks about correcting mistakes, his influences and how he prepared for the 1992 Olympics. Joe was the CEO of USA Canoe/Kayak for five years between 2009-14. He explains how he worked with other people in that role and how he coped with the pressures of the job. Last year Joe had his gold medal stolen but managed to get it back after 7-year-old Chloe Smith found it in a bin! Joe tells us about that story on the podcast. Each week Joe puts out an inspirational newsletter. You can sign up to Sunday Morning Joe here: https://joejacobi.com/sign-up-for-sunday-morning-joe/ You can find more about Joe at joejacobi.com and you can follow him on Twitter...

Nicola Thost was the first snowboarding Olympic Champion in the women’s halfpipe. Thost won gold at the Nagano games in 1998. The German is this week’s guest on the Best in the World with Richard Parr. Richard interviews Nicola a day before her 40th birthday, giving her a chance to reflect on her 25 year-old career. They discuss her training regime, coping with injuries and the mental aspect of sport. Nicola also talks about how the sport has changed since she won gold, as well as her interest in yoga. You can LIKE Nicola on Facebook at facebook.com/nicolathost and follow her on instagram @nicolathost.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 2008 Emma Snowsill became the Olympic Champion in triathlon and is this week’s guest on the Best in the World with Richard Parr. The former World Champion explains to Richard how she got started in the sport, her training methods and philosophies along with the mental side of competing. Emma talks about her experience of the Olympic village and the appeal processes she had to go through after not being selected for the 2004 and 2012 games. The Australian also tells Richard how her life has changed since becoming a mother. You can follow Emma on Twitter @emmasnowsill and learn more about her new company at ryzon.net.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lenny Krayzelburg won three gold medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 100 metres and 200 metres backstroke, along with the 4x100m medley. He also claimed another swimming gold in the medley four years later in Athens. On this week’s podcast, Lenny tells Richard about how his swimming career now helps him run the Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy. The five-time World Record holder talks about moving to the United States at a young age from Ukraine. Lenny explains his training schedule, the quality of swimmers he was training with and the dangers of overtraining. The American also talks about how he would cope with injuries. To find out more about the Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy head to lennykswim.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Track Cycling Olympic Champion Callum Skinner joins us on the Best in the World with Richard Parr this week. Callum took gold as part of the British team that won the Team Sprint at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro. Callum also claimed silver in the individual event, losing to his roommate in Rio Jason Kenny. We talk about how he coped being in the same apartment as the man he had to face in the final. Also on the programme Callum discusses finding a lump on his neck that was initially feared to be cancerous but fortunately wasn’t. He also talks about his start in cycling, his training sessions and why it was important that both of his parents watched him win his gold medal. There’s a lot to learn from Callum Skinner on this week’s show. You can follow him on twitter @CallumSkinner  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Annie Vernon is a two-time World Champion rower and is this week’s guest on the Best in the World with Richard Parr. We find out what Annie is up to since retiring from the sport and how she was able to make the adjustment. We learn about Annie’s training habits, diet and whether she had any rituals while competing. The British rower also talks about the disappointment of the 2008 Beijing Olympics where she won silver. Annie explains to Richard the importance of Henley Royal Regatta. You can learn more about Annie on twitter at @annievernongb.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Connor Fields is one of two men in the World with an Olympic Gold medal in BMX racing. We hear about Connor’s story on this week’s Best in the World with Richard Parr. We hear about how Connor began riding while growing up and living in Las Vegas. Connor talks about the disappointment of the London 2012 games and explains what he did differently to become a champion four years later in Rio de Janeiro. The American also tells Richard about his training schedule, his love of cooking and how he copes with injuries. You can follow Connor on twitter @connorfields11.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we are inspired by the 2006 Olympic speed skating Champion Chad Hedrick on the Best in the World with Richard Parr. Chad talks to Richard about using what he learned as a champion athlete in his new career in real estate. The Texan speaks about when he first began skating and turning professional at the age of 16. Chad also tells the story of how he became a Christian after winning his 5000 metres Olympic Gold Medal in Turin. Goal setting, routine and the Special Olympics are also discussed on this podcast. You can learn more about Chad at chadhedrick.com or on his instagram page @fromgoldtosold  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rebecca Soni won six Olympic swimming medals, three of them Gold. She won four World Championship golds. The American also broke World records in the 100 metres breaststroke, 200 metres and 4x100 metres relay. Rebecca has been retired since 2012 and joined Richard on this week’s Best in the World podcast. She talks about her new project RISE Elite, a mentorship programme for young athletes. This involves discussing yoga, mindfulness and psychology. Richard and Rebecca talk about goal-setting and coping with nerves and pressure. Rebecca’s diet is also brought up. The New Jersey native is now vegan and believes she could have had a similar diet when she was competing. You can follow Rebecca on social media @rebsoni and learn more about RISE Elite at http://riseeliteathletes.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.