Episode 221: In this episode of Sports Science Insights, host Steve Barrett is joined by Julie Gooderick — a UKSCA Accredited Strength & Conditioning Coach and Sports Therapist with more than 15 years of experience supporting athletes across a wide range of sports, from grassroots participation through to the Olympic Games.

Julie has led athlete scholarship programmes within schools and universities, helping to create pathways that develop talent from early participation to elite performance. With a degree in Sports Therapy, an MSc in Strength & Conditioning, and experience supporting athletes at two Olympic Games, she brings a unique perspective on long-term athlete development, performance support, and the realities of working in high-performance sport.

At the centre of the conversation is the challenge of supporting athletes beyond the training programme itself. Julie discusses the role of recovery in performance, why sleep remains one of the most underutilised tools available to athletes, and how practitioners can create environments that promote both performance and wellbeing.

The discussion also explores Julie's involvement in initiatives designed to support and develop female coaches within the profession. Drawing on her own experiences, she reflects on the progress that has been made, the challenges that remain, and the importance of creating opportunities for future generations of practitioners.

Throughout the episode, Julie shares practical examples and case studies from her consultancy work with female athletes, providing insight into the complex and individualised nature of performance support across different sporting environments.

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Topics Discussed:

• Julie's Background and Career Journey
• Sleep, Recovery and Performance
• Female Coach Initiatives Through UKSCA
• Female Athlete Consultancy Case Studies
• Long-Term Athlete Development
• Supporting Athletes Across Different Sporting Environments

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Where you can find Julie:

• Linkedin
• Publications

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Sponsors

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VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

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Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Our Website

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Our Team

• Andy McDonald
• Ben Ashworth
• Nicola Graham
• Steve Barrett
• Pete McKnight

Episode 220: In this episode of Accelerate Podcast, host Nicola Graham is joined by Allan MacDonald — a decision-making specialist who has spent 15 years in elite sport before transitioning into government, and who holds a professional doctorate in judgmental forecasting and decision-making.

Allan's career has taken him across high-performance sport, public sector strategy, and academic research — giving him a rare cross-domain perspective on how decisions actually get made under pressure. His doctoral work focuses on the science of forecasting and human judgement, exploring why even experienced professionals fall short when it matters most.

ㅤ At the centre of the conversation is a question every high-performance environment faces: how do we make better decisions — not just with better data, but with better thinking? Allan unpacks the gap between having information and knowing how to weigh it, and why expertise alone is no defence against the biases that quietly shape our choices.

ㅤ The discussion also explores how the principles of judgmental forecasting and calibrated confidence translate beyond sport — into business, strategy, and any environment where decisions are made in the face of uncertainty.

ㅤ Topics Discussed:

• Decision Making in High-Performance Environments
• Confidence and Calibration
• Team Set-Ups and How They Shape Judgement
• Forecasting and Handling Uncertainty
• The Crossover to Business and Strategy

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Where you can find Allan:

• LinkedIn
• Website
• X

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Sponsors

Gameplan is a rehab Project Management & Data Analytics Platform that improves operational & communication efficiency during rehab. Gameplan provides a centralised tool for MDT’s to work collaboratively inside a data rich environment

VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

-

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Our Website

-

Our Team

• Andy McDonald
• Ben Ashworth
• Nicola Graham
• Steve Barrett
• Pete McKnight

Episode 219: In this episode of the Inform Performance Podcast, Andy McDonald is joined by Simon Wallace — Senior Physiotherapist at Aspetar Sports Medicine Hospital, where he leads the Foot, Ankle, and Calf rehabilitation team.

With extensive experience across elite sport and high-performance environments, Simon has developed particular expertise in lower limb rehabilitation, specialising in complex foot and ankle injuries as well as recurrent thigh muscle issues. Prior to Aspetar, Simon spent over a decade working in professional rugby, including serving as Medical Lead & Head Physiotherapist at Leicester Tigers.

Throughout the episode, Simon shares a detailed insight into the rehabilitation process following Achilles tendon rupture and repair, exploring how clinicians can effectively balance tissue healing, loading strategies, and athlete expectations throughout recovery. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding the variability within Achilles rehab and why rigid timelines often fail to reflect the realities of individual recovery.

The discussion also dives into the role of early-stage management post-surgery, common mistakes that can delay progress, and how practitioners can better integrate strength and plyometric training to prepare athletes for the demands of return to performance. Simon offers practical perspectives on navigating decision-making in elite sport while maintaining athlete confidence and long-term outcomes.

Topics Discussed:

• Surgical options for Achilles repair
• Early management following Achilles surgery
• Understanding flexibility within Achilles rehab
• Common pitfalls during Achilles recovery
• The importance of plyometric training
• Navigating athlete expectations and return timelines

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Where you can find Simon:

• LinkedIn

• Instagram

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Sponsors

Gameplan is a rehab Project Management & Data Analytics Platform that improves operational & communication efficiency during rehab. Gameplan provides a centralised tool for MDT’s to work collaboratively inside a data rich environment

VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

-

Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Our Website

-

Our Team

• Andy McDonald
• Ben Ashworth
• Nicola Graham
• Steve Barrett
• Pete McKnight