Rest wasn’t the answer to my exhaustion

I was so tired at the end of 2023. But I didn’t need more rest.

I needed better systems.

I’ve been surrounded by high performance systems my entire life. They were so good I barely realized they were there. They were designed to eliminate as much noise as possible so I could focus 100% on being the best long jumper in the world.

The team: My Coach Aston Moore (right) and my prosthetist Richard Nieveen (left) celebrating in Tokyo Olympic Stadium!

Then I retired from professional sport. I was excited to take on that responsibility. But excitement and knowledge are two very different things. Turns out it’s really hard to establish high performance systems for yourself and your business.

Sure, it’s a little embarrassing to ask for help with some of the basics of adulting in your late 30’s. But if there is one thing I know about high performance it’s that embarrassment will get you nowhere. Find people you trust and ask away. The more honest you are, the better they can help you.


I took a step back and spent the past two months getting better systems in place. I told myself every day that stepping back is not the same as stepping backwards.


There are things to tweak and things to learn. But I already feel like I’m doing more with less noise, and with much more joy and rest!