IB Woman
Issue No. 21 - February/March 2005
Giving business a sporting chance…
Rachel Sporn, Sarah Ryan and Kerri Pottharst
What is the secret to becoming an elite sportsperson and how can that translate to success in business? Rachel Sporn, Sarah Ryan and Kerri Pottharst are elite sportswomen who have achieved their Olympic dream in three very different sports.
All had a natural talent toward sport and were excellent all-rounders from an early age. Each was drawn to a different sport based on interest, ability, body type and social interactions. Sarah chose a sport whereby she competed against herself - swimming. Being a team player appealed to Rachel – basketball. But Kerri wanted a mix of both so she was attracted to a partner sport – beach volleyball.
In the same way that successful businesspeople hold on to their dream and their focus, Rachel, Sarah and Kerri talk of their single-mindedness to become elite sportswomen. They all sacrificed social activities, spent hours training daily, risked severe physical injury but never took their eye off the ball; as it were.
"I think there are strong similarities between a successful sporting team and a business," says Sarah. "My trainer would address the team, create bonding days, share successes and create rewards for good work. Our sport is our business."
"Looking back, I wish more balance had been present in my life when I was so totally focussed on basketball and Olympic gold. I am very competitive by nature," says Rachel, "and the withdrawal from elite sporting life left a void I never thought I could fill."
"I find it hard to be settled now because I have to find something with the same passion and goals that I had in sport," agrees Sarah. "It’s the ‘retirement syndrome’ whereby my life is no longer scheduled, driven and rewarded. I think it’s more difficult for an elite athlete to fit in to a normal workplace after that."
Sarah suggests that business owners and managers implement a similar system of goals and rewards used to motivate the elite in sport. "It’s so simple...
