500-year strategy, and raising an elite athlete
Rachel Taulelei built companies, represented New Zealand at international trade forums, and co-owns the Tokomanawa Queens, a championship-winning team in the Tauihi Women's Basketball League.
It was so liberating getting fired
Wesley Clarke led the Manawatū Women's Sevens to back-to-back national finals, claiming the title in 2016.
I was sh*t scared of my anger
Craig White has spent more than three decades coaching at the highest levels of professional sport, including international rugby, professional football, and elite club environments.
It sort of broke me, but I wouldn't admit that at the time
Dame Susan Devoy dominated international squash through the 1980s: world number one for nearly a decade, four-time world champion, eight-time British Open winner, and the most decorated player in New Zealand squash history.
We lost that ability to get the best outta our people
Kieran Read is rugby royalty: former Crusaders captain, former All Blacks captain, one of the most capped players of all time, and the fifth most capped All Black in history.
You’re all alone out there, you have no team
Marina Erakovic spent a decade ranked inside the world's top 100 tennis players. She competed in 36 Grand Slams, reached a career-high ranking of 39, and won 9 WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) and 18 ITF (International Tennis Federation) titles.
Winning was the number one thing
Hugo Inglis is a four-time Olympian who represented New Zealand in field hockey, earning more than 250 caps for the national team and winning both silver and bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games. He's also the co-founder of High Impact Athletes.
How dare these women?
Alice Soper has been playing rugby in Wellington women’s teams since she was 13 years old; she’s played Sevens and 15s and she’s also played in England.
Are your goals driving you…or holding you back
Goal-setting is something Kaila and Boma educational designer Hannah Hudson have talked about for years, but Kaila’s conversation with Don sparked a new exploration of how goals can be defined and what “winning” truly looks like.
I want to be part of an organisation that empowers our people to be extraordinary.
Don Tricker was a former player and coach of the Black Sox, New Zealand's national softball team.
It's not about positive or negative leadership, it's about constructive or destructive leadership.
The legendary Shane Fletcher — or “Fletch” is the High Performance Campaign Manager for the Black Ferns, both the XV and the Sevens. He was the team manager for the Crusaders for 8 years; his tenure there included their 7-in-a-row championship run.
You have to present yourself with an air of confidence. If you don't, they won't respect you.
Shane Bond is a legend of New Zealand cricket, widely accepted as one of the greatest fast bowlers of his era.
I was the major underdog. How the hell can you beat the guy who beat you?
Known as the Mountain Warrior, Shane Cameron was the Commonwealth cruiserweight champion and held the WBO Oriental, WBO Asia-Pacific and IBF Pan-Pacific titles. Today, he’s a businessman, with ventures including the Shane Cameron Fitness gym and the Counterpunch boxing range.
We're gonna fail more than we succeed in sport and life, so let's do it on our own terms.
Todd Astle is a former professional cricketer; playing Test, ODI, and T20 cricket for the New Zealand Black Caps. In 2023, alongside his brother Ryan and his mate Ged Robinson, Todd co-founded BetterMan, a not-for-profit delivering BYC — betterment, yarns and competition — for men in Christchurch.
It's about training to be present under pressure.
Karameli Faaee is one of the most successful international rugby players in US history. As captain of the USA Women’s Eagles, she led the team to fourth place in the 2017 Rugby World Cup, their first time making it to the semifinals in nearly 20 years.
You have no idea the impact you can have
We’ve just returned from the U.S., where we filmed content in collaboration with the U.S. Soccer Foundation. Our work together focuses on the Yes Coach! initiative, which has a target of upskilling 100,000 coach-mentors across the United States by 2030.
I just don’t wanna do this anymore
Zoë stepped away from rowing in 2021 and has been open about how the need to make weight took its toll, not only on her body, but also on her soul.
The easiest part of being an All Black is becoming an All Black.
Campbell Johnstone played for the Crusaders in 2004 and for the All Blacks in 2005. In 2023, he came out as the first openly gay All Black and made headlines around the world.
The company was gonna dissolve within 67 days.
Smithy arrived to a team that had lost its connection, that was complacent, that was entitled. He turned it around in the most profound way, going back into the company's history to find something they could play for that was bigger than them.
We’ve got an opportunity to create a bit of history
DJ Forbes is Rugby Sevens royalty. He played in 512 games in 89 tournaments, winning six World Series. Last year he was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.