The Next Chapter…
I spent more than ten years of my life competing in possibly the most obscure (and frankly controversial) sport you’ll likely ever come across - target shooting.
And though I’ve turned the page on those days, it’s the lessons learned from that life that guide me as I write the next chapter.
Sport is hardly a perfect environment, but through it I have learned so much - about myself, other people, humanity in general. Like so many things in this world, it is deeply flawed and so much has been uncovered in recent years. Corruption. Scandal. Abuse. But it has the potential to be so much more.
The true power of sport lies in its stories. They are the beating heart of its enduring appeal.
The underdog defying the odds. Shared experiences turning rivalry to friendship. Resilience triumphs in the face of adversity. Stories like those capture our imagination, bring us together, show us that anything is possible, inspire us in our darkest moments. They have the power to change lives, to make the world a better place.
I dedicated the best part of a decade to my sport, to writing my own story, and during that time I lost more often than I won, learned more about myself than I care to admit in the process, and forged friendships that I will cherish forever. Those stories guide me as I embark on the next chapter, and maybe by sharing them they can guide someone else too.
My story isn’t likely to change the world…
But if it can influence even one person’s life for the better then that’s a job well done.
Sport and Politics…
There is an old adage that sport and politics should not mix - that things like the Olympic movement should remain politically neutral. As if sport is something that can and should exist in a vacuum, separate from the rest of our day-to-day lives…
Please Excuse Me While I Vent.
I said I wasn’t going to write blog posts unless I had something to say… well, here we are…
#AuthorGoals
This author changed the way I look at fantasy. She changed how I look at writing, and ultimately she changed how I look at myself. And that’s what I love about books - about words and the people who put them together. It almost feels like some kind of magic…
Available Now!
My debut epic fantasy novel, Blood of Ravens, is available to pre-order NOW!
Cover Reveal
I am so happy to finally share the cover for my upcoming, debut fantasy novel, Blood of Ravens!
What Makes a Good Villain?
If conflict is the central to good storytelling, then a well-rounded and well-written antagonist is the key to unlocking that…
Building a Fantasy World
Worldbuilding is the cornerstone of sci-fi and fantasy. It’s what sets the genre apart, what drew me to it in the first place, and creating my own has been a delight…
Character Introductions
"A mother with no memory. A general enslaved. An unwilling heir. And the two children who see it all..."
Introducing the main characters of my upcoming epic fantasy novel, Blood of Ravens
Baby Names Will Be Easy After This…
Competing at the Olympics was easier than this, but I am so excited to finally reveal the title of my debut epic fantasy novel!
A Picture Paints a Thousand Words…
Before writing there was sport, but before sport there was art and getting back into painting was the thing that excited me most post retirement…
The Power of Writing
Writing helps me make sense of the chaos in my head. It can help us organise our thoughts and process our emotions. It offers us a chance to reflect, to connect and create…
New Year, New Me?
I like to think that I have pretty good emotional intelligence and a reasonably high level of self-awareness, and knowing myself as well as I do has allowed me to manipulate myself to achieve an outcome…
Goal Setting: An Exercise in Neuroticism
Setting annual goals is a key part of performance sporting environments, but this was the first year I tried to apply it to things I wanted to achieve beyond sport…
The Publishing Quandary
The closer I get to publishing, the more terrified I am becoming, and have to keep reminding myself why I’m doing this. The answer to that question has changed over the years, but it wasn’t until I started exploring publishing routes that I realised how much it had changed…
Changing Behaviours
I was recently introduced to model used by behavioural scientists to identify areas in need of intervention in order to effect meaningful behavioural changes. And now I’m using it on myself…
Planning: An Overachiever’s Guide
I’m not a naturally organised individual and, like every overachiever since the dawn of time, I’m terrible for giving myself too much to do. But time-management is a necessary part of life and one I’ve worked hard to improve on…