Mental Health & the Cost of Winning with Susie Rodgers MBE, British Swimmer & Paralympics Gold Medalist

👊🏻 3 THINGS YOU'LL LEARN:

- Why ownership of your career path matters

- Managing career transitions & how to dissociate your identity/worth with your career

- Managing mental health & the pressures of constant "high-performance"

⏳ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro

03:12 - How Susie found sport with the intention of connection

05:50 - A practical upbringing to be told "you just have to adapt"

08:07 - Finding her 'Ikigai'

13:54 - Mental health: Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles, the expectation to win and perform

17:58 - Career and Identity

20:16 - Taking stock of winning

27:59 - Billion Dollar Questions

About Susie Rodgers

Susannah Rodgers MBE

Susie wears prosthetic limbs on her left side and orthotics for her right foot. She has lived a life of disability since birth. She understands the complexity of inclusion, but is a strong believer in ability and capability, having used her determination to succeed in every aspect of her life. Susie believes that no one should be left behind; in education, work and in government and public life, as well as in society in general. Susie is an advocate and speaker on inclusion and diversity and is a role model and mentor to other people with disabilities, showing what is possible, through openly speaking about her own experiences as a disabled woman.

Susie is also a former professional athlete who competed at two Paralympic Games winning a total of 30 international medals including 17 Gold. She became Paralympic Champion in the 50m Butterfly at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. At the London 2012 Paralympic Games, her first, she came away with three Bronze medals, British and European records. She went on to become multiple European and World Champion across her disciplines including 50m, 100m and 400m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly and 100m Backstroke. It wasn't until eight years after the start of her journey as a professional athlete, that she finally won individual Gold in the women's S7 classification 50m Butterfly at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. She set a European record of 35.07 and her shocked expression and reaction became a media highlight of the Games. Susie conducted her entire career as an athlete whilst still maintaining her professional career with a part-time role at the British Council as well as sitting on various Boards as a Director.