Play Awake

Padel tournament journey off to a flying start. 🏆

A great day competing at La Palma Padel in Tuggerah. Really enjoyed playing the 35+ with my brother Ryan, and then teaming up with Rafa Rodriguez in the 45+ and getting the win.

One of the things I’m enjoying most about padel is exploring the similarities and differences with tennis.

The competitive instincts transfer. Reading the moment, handling pressure, finding solutions and trusting yourself when it matters.

But padel demands its own kind of patience. Knowing when to defend, when to use the walls, when to stay in the point and when the opportunity is there to attack.

Different game. A lot of familiar lessons.

And another opportunity to put the Play Awake tools to the test in competition. Presence, awareness, letting go and trusting yourself under pressure.

Great to share the experience with my brother Ryan, who enjoyed his first real taste of competitive padel, and with Rafa in the 45+.

Well done to Jussel and the team at La Palma Padel for putting on a great tournament. 👏

Plenty more to explore. And that’s half the fun.

Babolat

I used to think performing at my best meant controlling everything.

The nerves.
The frustration.
The excitement.
The intensity.

But over time, I learned something different.

The goal isn’t to get rid of those feelings.

It’s to be able to feel it all without losing yourself inside it.

That lesson has shaped so much of how I now think about performance, and it’s a big part of why and how I created the Play Awake ecosystem.

Not to make people calmer.
Not to take away their fire.

But to help them stay connected to themselves when the moment gets challenging.

Bring the fire. Build the grounding. Trust yourself, then hit Play! 🔥

Twenty years ago, I thought success was all about performance.

Rankings. Results. Achievement.

I believed if I worked hard enough and won enough, I’d eventually find confidence.

What I’ve come to realise is that the best performances don’t come from forcing more.

They come from reconnecting with yourself; especially when pressure, fear and expectation start pulling you away.

That lesson has shaped not only my coaching, but something I’ve been quietly building over the past few years.

It’s called Play Awake.

A mental-performance practice designed to help athletes, performers and anyone facing meaningful pressure meet those moments with greater presence, clarity and trust.

It’s still early, and there’s plenty to build.

But I’m excited to start sharing more of the journey.

What has pressure taught you about yourself?

Bodywork and Sports Massage
Now Available with Nathan.
For 17 years, it’s been his best kept secret. Finally convinced him, it’s time to share his gift.
Reach out to book in. You won’t regret it.