‘Manage the individual – not the sport’ – The Laois man working at the top level of high-performance coaching

Patrick Harding is a Performance Coach with over 12 years’ experience working in the elite sporting environment.

Patrick runs Curadh Performance, a UK-based high-performance coaching company for elite athletes.

He was back home in Laois this week as part of a new sponsorship launch by his home GAA club, The Rock.

In recent years, Patrick has moved into Formula 1 Motorsport as a Performance Coach with Honda and Aston Martin Red Bull Racing.

He is currently Performance Coach to Alex Albon, who drives for Williams in Formula 1.

Patrick also works with professional boxer and Olympic medalist, Michael Conlon, and says that there is a lot of crossover in terms of physical preparation for both boxing and Formula 1.

“The elements of fitness which they need to be successful in their sports actually are quite simila,” he said.

“There’s technical elements that I’m not involved in – because I can’t drive a Formula 1 car and I certainly wouldn’t last 60 seconds in a ring.

“But you’d be surprised in those two particular sports, how common those physical attributes need to be to be successful.”

Having started his career in professional rugby union and Australian Rules Football in Sydney, Australia, Patrick believes there is a big difference in the coaching of an individual compared to a squad.

“The level of attention to detail goes up and the amount of direct input that you need to give to those athletes changes quite a bit,” he said.

“You have to adapt how you approach the athletes when it’s individuals rather than team sports.”

Patrick was Lead Physiotherapist for Team GB’s Canoeing squad for the Rio 2016 Olympic cycle – the most successful games in British Olympic history.

Following the Rio Olympics, he spent 2 seasons with Arsenal Football Club in the English Premier League.

During his time at the club, he played a pivotal role in the physical development of professional footballers competing at the highest level of the game.

So what was Patrick’s biggest take-away from working in such high-profile environments?

“The biggest thing to remember about all these athletes is that they’re just normal people – they just happen to have exceptional skills.

“They’ve had a level of dedication success that is attributes to them, in terms of what they put in to the sport.

“So, treating them like normal human beings and understanding that they’ll have the same anxieties that we have, just those anxieties are in an environment where there’s a lot more scrutiny and a lot more pressure.

“You treat them like normal human beings – understanding their emotions, making sure that they have the right support network, and actually that they’re happy in their sport.

“If you get somebody who is happy and healthy and has a good support network, that carries through to the sport. And that doesn’t matter what level you’re at really.

“Manage the individual – not the sport.”

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