I have known Tony both personally and professionally for well over a decade and primarily in two forms – as an elite coach to many of Great Britain’s best athletes, and as a mentor and programme leader at Sky Sports to me and a dozen of Great Britain’s top Olympians from many diverse sports.
At the beginning of my international career, I was only an observer to Tony’s elite coaching as a member of Team GB, but what I can attest to were the standards, professionalism and work ethic that radiated from every member of his group and shone as an example for the rest of the team, and particularly to developing athletes such as myself. This level of team cohesion and the shared commitment to reaching the highest levels attainable reflects not only Tony’s leadership but also his aspirations and values. Tony sets his standards to succeed on the world-stage, and his vision for every athlete is to compare themselves with their peers globally. He encourages his athletes to think bigger and then gives them the resources and coaching to achieve this.
When I was a member of the Sky Scholarships programme, Tony acted as a mentor and programme leader to me for 4 years between 2017-2021. This period represented an entire Olympic cycle where I prepared for the Tokyo Olympic Games and included several highs and lows which included becoming World Indoor Champion, a major coaching change and international relocation, several major injuries, winning on the Diamond League circuit, managing the Covid-19 pandemic, and ultimately making the Olympic final in the 110m Hurdles. This was a hugely formative period with highly diverse challenges, and I consistently benefitted from Tony’s expertise and experience when navigating these varied trials.
Tony’s guidance and input took many adaptable forms but always stayed true to the values of performance and honesty. He was always available whether by phone or in person and always listened diligently to give considered thoughtful feedback. Tony also took the time to visit my training and learn about my team and environment to build a fuller picture when offering advice to ensure it was tailored to the needs that I had. In addition, Tony helped me to manage all opportunities that the scholarships programme with Sky offered, showing care for me as a person beyond my sport in utilising work experience within their business units.
There are many external pressures that affect an elite athlete’s career and ultimately influence performance on the track. Tony’s unique experience of elite sport from both the performance coaching and the commercial business aspects allow him to understand the modern elite athlete and help them to consistently optimise performance and grow their aspirations on the World’s biggest stages.