Almost Pro

🥇 Olympic Gold.

Forever etched in the history books and, for most athletes, the ultimate dream.

But what happens when you finally achieve it?

Olympic Gold Medalist Rosie Popa joins us on Almost Pro to share her incredible journey from growing up around Olympians, to missing the Rio Olympics, studying at Berkeley and Oxford, and ultimately standing atop the podium in Tokyo.

But in true Almost Pro fashion, this conversation goes far beyond rowing.

We explore ambition, perfectionism, external validation, fulfillment, identity, and what happens when achievement alone is no longer enough.

It’s one of the most captivating and honest conversations we’ve had on the podcast.

🎙️ Tune in now and hear Rosie’s remarkable journey to Olympic Gold and the lessons she learned along the way.

🌐 Learn more about Rosie: www.rosiepopa.com

🌡️ What’s the hottest weather you’ve ever played sport in?

This week at the French Open, temperatures climbed into the low 30s°C, with several players openly discussing the impact of the heat.

One player even left the court in a wheelchair after suffering severe cramps following a five-set match.

It got us thinking…

🤔 Do sport heat policies need to change?

As temperatures continue to rise around the world, where is the line between challenging conditions and unsafe conditions?

Should sport simply adapt and push on as it always has?

Or is it time to rethink how we schedule, deliver, and protect athletes across all levels of sport?

🎙️ In this week’s AP Bites, we tackle one of the biggest conversations in sport right now.

👇 We’d love to hear your thoughts:
Do sport heat policies need to change?

🎧 Watch now - link in comments.

⚾️ Sometimes the thing that changes your path ends up revealing your purpose.

In this week’s episode of Almost Pro, we sit down with Andy Bass.

From professional baseball to mental performance leadership with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Andy’s journey is one of resilience, perspective and growth.

Throughout the conversation, Andy shares his experiences with:
• The yips
• Imposter syndrome
• Athlete identity
• Overthinking and self-trust
• The evolution of mental performance in sport

But more than anything, this is a conversation about what happens when the path you planned changes, and how those experiences can shape the person you become.

Thoughtful, insightful and incredibly human, Andy’s story offers valuable lessons for athletes, coaches, parents and sport industry professionals alike.

🎙️ Pro Baseball, The Yips, And Getting Out Of Your Own Head | Andy Bass

🎧 Now streaming on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.

MLB HighPerformance SportsPodcas

Confidence is part of elite sport.

It has to be.

The pressure, scrutiny and expectations at the highest level demand belief in yourself.

But when does confidence cross into ego, entitlement, or superiority?

In this week’s AP Bites, we explore the fine line between confidence and arrogance in modern sport - and why swagger, dominance and confidence can sometimes become confused with leadership.

Because some of the greatest athletes ever carried confidence without making others feel small.

🎙️ EP.005 — Confidence vs Arrogance in Sport

Now streaming on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Link in comments.

AthleteIdentity

Meet Malhar Atré - the latest member of the Almost Pro crew! 🇮🇳🇦🇺

A national level swimmer and multi-sport athlete from India whose journey through swimming, cycling, water polo and sport management eventually brought him to Australia in pursuit of something bigger than competition alone.

In this episode, Malhar shares:
🏊 The realities of pursuing elite sport in India
🚴 Transitioning across multiple sports
🏏 Working within the Indian sporting system and BCCI
🇦🇺 The stark contrast between sport in India and Australia
🎯 Why he’s now pursuing a future helping shape sport from the organisational side

A really fascinating conversation on ambition, opportunity and finding new ways to stay connected to the dream.

🎧 India To Australia: When Ambition Outgrows Environment is OUT NOW on YouTube, Spotify and all podcast platforms.

🔗Spotify episode link in comments

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums and mother figures behind the athletes, coaches, teams and sporting dreams.

Thank you for the sacrifices no one sees 🤍

Can your beliefs actually cost you your career in sport?

In modern sport, athletes aren’t just being judged on performance anymore.

They’re being judged on:
• what they post
• what they support
• what they say publicly
• and sometimes even what they stay silent about

In this week’s AP Bites, we explore the growing pressure athletes face between authenticity, public expectation, organisational values and career security.

🎙️ AP Bites:
BIG conversations in sport.
Small enough to fit into your lunch break.

Listen now on www.almostpropodcast.com