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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

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