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Helen Alfano has worked in elite sport for over 20 years, supporting athletes across disciplines - from judo to netball - through the often invisible work of well-being and personal development.

In this episode, she joins Ryan to unpack what it really means to support athletes as whole humans, not just performers. From early conversations about life after sport, to how programs handle feedback, to the power of coaching without judgment, Helen breaks down the complexity of athlete support in high-pressure environments.

If you're in high performance or responsible for supporting others who are, this conversation will challenge how you think about performance, systems, and care.

What You'll Hear

• Why well-being needs to be part of the performance system, not an afterthought
• How elite programs can create spaces that support both performance and personal growth
• What athletes really struggle with behind the scenes, from identity to isolation
• The importance of early and ongoing conversations about life after sport
• How feedback can be hard to hear and how leaders need to shift their mindset
• Why transitions are hard even when the job is lined up, and what systems often miss
• The unexpected benefits of remote athlete support
• What Helen sees athletes needing most when the spotlight dims
• How to create honest, non-judgmental coaching relationships that last
• Why vulnerability and repair deepen trust, even in high-performance spaces

Golden Nugget

Want to Go Deeper?

If you are looking for career clarity for your next step, visit www.2ndwind.io
to learn more or book a consult.

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What happens when the only life you’ve known as an athlete suddenly stops? For many, the answer is silence, confusion, and a deep sense of loss.

Emily Huston, a former USA volleyball player and founder of Home Team, joins Ryan for a real, thoughtful conversation about life after sport. From discovering her love for the outdoors to navigating identity, burnout, and depression, Emily’s story is a powerful example of how difficult it can be to “move on” and why getting a job after sport isn’t the whole answer.

She opens up about retiring twice from volleyball, what it felt like to free-fall without a parachute, and the personal pain that led her to create Home Team, an organization dedicated to helping injured and retired athletes find community, direction, and healing after sport.

This episode explores the hidden costs of life beyond competition and why support for athletes must go beyond job placements and highlight reels.

What You’ll Hear:

- Why Emily retired from sport twice, and what brought her back
- What athletes lose when they leave the game (and why a job doesn’t fix it)
- The “cliff effect” and how it impacts identity, eating habits, and mental health
- How NIL and social media bring fame too early, and the crash that follows
- What it's really like to go from being “Superman” to not recognizing your body
- Why working at a desk feels unbearable for so many former athletes
- The patterns of disordered eating and control that emerge post-retirement
- Why Emily believes athletic departments have failed retired athletes
- The emotional weight of being labeled “irrelevant” after sport
- How Home Team is creating a new kind of support network for athletes
- The power of awe, nature, and adventure in post-sport healing

Golden Nugget:

“Most people think if an athlete gets a job after sport, they’re fine. But that job can feel more disorienting than retirement itself.”

Want to Go Deeper?

If you've ever felt like your post-sport life is harder than you expected, or like you’re the only one who’s lost, you're not alone. The good news? There’s help, there’s community, and there’s hope. Vvisit www.2ndwind.io
to learn more or book a consult.

Send us a text

Lloyd Ashley spent years on the pitch as a professional rugby player. But what came after is just as powerful. In this episode, we sit down with Lloyd to talk about what it really means to transition from sport, how identity shifts when the structure fades, and how building a career in player support gave him purpose off the field.

From playing for the Barbarians to working as a plumber between games, Lloyd’s story is a masterclass in reinvention. He opens up about the fear of regret, the weight of uncertainty, and how small decisions like enrolling in a 12 week counselling course can change everything.

Now leading mental health and wellbeing support for the Welsh Rugby Players Association, Lloyd reflects on the messy, nonlinear path from elite sport to meaningful work and how he's helping others build futures with clarity, honesty, and courage.

What You’ll Hear

• How Lloyd balanced contracts, education, and part time jobs while still playing
• Why his plumbing apprenticeship shaped how he sees life after rugby
• What he learned from falling through a ceiling and earning £20 a day
• The surprising power of a 12 week counselling course that shifted everything
• Why taking your kids to school mattered more than another year in pro sport
• The difference between having options and having a plan
• How he built a post sport life with intention not panic
• Why regret can be more painful than failure
• How lived experience became his biggest asset as a Personal Development Manager
• What most athletes misunderstand about the real world
• How he supports athletes emotionally and practically during transitions
• Why it’s not just about having the answers but asking the right questions

Golden Nugget

Want to go deeper?

If you are navigating what is next in sport or beyond, visit www.2ndwind.io
to learn more or book a consult.