Achieving Excellence in High Performance Sport by Tim Kyndt

Author:Tim Kyndt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2012-06-05T16:00:00+00:00

Case Study: Working in a Team

Nigel Mitchell

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Head of Nutrition British Cycling/Team Sky

FIG. 7.1 Nigel Mitchell

What does the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games mean to you? Maybe it is about the performance of Team GB and the way this continues to inspire young GB athletes towards the podia of future Games? Or is the legacy closer to home in that the nation now has expertise, structure and service standards within coaching, sports science and sports medicine that are second to none across the world?

There was certainly a great deal of planning1 and, indeed, controversy about what a London 2012 legacy actually meant. In practice, there are many great examples of the London 2012 legacy and perhaps the most significant in terms of performance sports nutrition is the legacy created by Nigel Mitchell.

Almost as soon as London was awarded the 2012 Games, Nigel set out on his mission to improve the delivery of performance nutrition services to the UK’s elite athletes. The legacy that Nigel created was twofold. Firstly, he led a substantial upgrade in the quality, focus and performance impact of nutritional support to elite athletes. In addition, Nigel recruited, trained and inspired a legion of young sports nutritionists, who are among the most influential across Olympic, Paralympic and professional sports in the UK today. That is a significant impact and legacy for one person to achieve in such a demanding environment, although Nigel would never claim this for himself. Indeed, Nigel was at pains to point out several times during our interview that he was motivated by the desire to help others, rather than to seek his own rewards. But don’t mistake this for false modesty, because by his own acknowledgement, Nigel is not devoid of an ego and he will certainly pursue his aims and ambition with his trademark strident enthusiasm. He is no pushover and he seizes the chance when he sees it:

It was a fantastic opportunity, as it was in the English Institute of Sport (EIS) plan to develop nutritional services at some stage anyway. I was about at the right time to try and influence the process that was starting at the EIS. I was quite fortunate that the timing was right. The sports were incredibly receptive when we showed them the benefits of the service. We’d changed the focus from not just looking at the idea of healthy eating but actually looking at what we do that actually influences performance. So by putting the concept of performance first, that helped the sports to understand. Once we convinced sports that they needed this type of nutrition service, we needed to go out and recruit a group of young people and train them to deliver it.

Nigel remains a mentor to many of this group, and he values the role of acting as a sounding board and trusted advisor to those with a growth mindset. He knows firsthand how difficult it can be sometimes when you have the drive, but not necessarily the means or opportunity, to realise an ambition.

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