Laurence Halsted is a two-time Olympian who, after retirement from sport, became involved in The True Athlete Project which works towards addressing the pressing problems in sport – bullying, mental health issues, suffering – and reimagining sport as a force for good. He shared thoughts on his journey and the work being done in the True Athlete Project in the Meaningful Sport Podcast.
We got in contact with Laurence last winter when we realised that the meaningful sport project and the work being done by the TAP team share many key themes and concerns. As it is stated in the TAP website:
“Sport can provide life changing moments of joy, freedom and meaning. But too often sport fails to live up to its potential, causing harm, and perpetuating injustice.”
Why has sport lost its way? What can be done in the practical field in sport organisations to work towards creating opportunities for more joy and meaningful experiences in sport?
In the podcast session, we started the conversation by exploring Laurence’s own journey in the world of elite sport and the challenges and painful moments he experienced, as well as how he increasingly became aware of problematic features of elite sport including the Olympic Games. Should sport organisations or individual athletes go as far as boycotting the games, given the harmful impact they can have on host communities?
After exploring Laurence’s journey, we start discussing the vision and work being done in TAP. Specifically, we discuss the mentoring programme that Laurence has been developing and how the message of TAP has been received in the world of elite sport.
Part 1 here:
In the second part of our recording session, our conversation moves on to exploring Laurence’s new book Becoming a True Athlete: A practical philosophy for flourishing through sport (available for pre-order here). We discuss the philosophical ideas underpinning the book as well as the practical ways that individuals and communities can work towards more sustainable and meaningful culture around (elite) sport.
Is it realistic that the world of sport will change, and what could be the first steps?
Part 2 here:
Here are useful links to find out more:
The True Athlete Project website
Laurence’s article in The Guardian about why elite athletes should speak up on issues beyond their sport.
Laurence’s book Becoming a True Athlete: A practical philosophy for flourishing through sport is available for pre-order here.
If you got interested in the True Athlete Project and Laurence’s work, you can get in touch laurence@thetrueathleteproject.org.