As an athlete myself, I have a deep interest in the mindset behind successful and unsuccessful performances.
Meet Suze
Having gained a BSc in Psychology and Criminology and an MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology, I am currently working towards my doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology, which will lead to chartered status with the British Psychological Society (BPS), of which I am currently a trainee/graduate member.
Background
With a background in telecommunications and sales, I utilised my psychology degree to understand the behaviour of buying and selling in the corporate world and the effective working of multi-disciplinary teams. Similarly, I applied these skills when volunteering as a Special Constable with the Metropolitan Police; a role that included policing at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Sport
It is sport, however, that is my true passion. As an athlete myself, I have a deep interest in the mindset behind successful and unsuccessful performances. In 2016, I unfortunately lost a few people close to me, which reminded me how precious life can be and, as a result, realised how important it was for me to do what I truly love. This led me to enrol on my MSc and towards a career in Sport Psychology. I grew up riding motorbikes - my first bike came with stabilisers attached - and I’ve enjoyed competing in numerous sports, including hockey at County level, football in the FA Women’s Premier League and rounders at National level. I enjoyed a successful sporting career and experienced some confident performances, although, throughout my competitive playing days, I struggled to control my unhelpful thoughts under pressure, which in turn had a negative impact on my performance.
Performance Mindset
This has led me to develop a deeper interest in how our mindset can affect performance. In understanding our emotions, processes and habits, we can start to manage our mind under pressure for optimal performance. I have experience of working with junior and adult athletes, teams - recreational through to professional - and athletes in the high performance system campaigning for the Olympic Games.
