5. Becky Downie -

The podcast "When Life Gives You Lemons" aims to explore the concept of resilience by interviewing high achievers who have overcome adversity. Host Emma Levy, who has worked with elite athletes for most of her career, became fascinated with the idea that many high-performing individuals have encountered adversity earlier in their lives. She herself faced adversity when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36. The podcast's goal is to inspire listeners through the stories of resilience and determination of its guests.
In the episode, British artistic gymnast Becky Downey is interviewed. As a double Olympian and multiple world, European, and Commonwealth medallist, she has experienced many highs and lows in her gymnastics career. Downey discusses the challenges she has faced and how they have made her a more resilient person. The podcast suggests that adversity can be a key factor in the development of resilience and high performance.
The gymnastics program discussed in the episode has made positive changes by adapting training programs to individual needs and prioritizing athlete well-being. For the past 10 years, coaches have been working to understand that while gymnastics is a team sport, each gymnast is an individual with different strengths, weaknesses, and injuries. As a result, training programs are now individualized from a younger age. In the past, weight shaming was a common problem in the sport, but coaches did not understand the long-term negative impact it had on athletes. However, now there is a greater awareness of the issue, and coaches are more careful about how they approach weight management with their athletes. The changes in the program are positive and aimed at ensuring that the athletes' well-being is a top priority.