Lee-Ann Persse is a retired Olympic Rower, and a podcast host.

She only started rowing in her teens and took to the sport very naturally. She was identified as a gifted rower by her school coach early on and this gave her the belief that she could compete at the top level of the sport.

Expect to learn why so many young South African female rowers leave the continent, why she decided to walk away from the sport when she was offered a route back to the Olympics, how lonely professional sports can be and the importance of mental health in sports.

I really enjoyed this conversation because we touched on so many different aspects of professional sports. It was so interesting to learn about the experiences Lee-Ann had at the Olympics in 2012 and 2016. From the misaligned expectations the first time around to the much-improved approach in 2016. Learning to grow from your mistakes and not putting too much pressure on yourself is a lesson that many people, including myself, can learn from.

Lee-Ann explains how important the team dynamics are with rowing and this applies to other sports as well. Speaking openly as teammates about your issues is better than bottling them up. Under stress and pressure, it is important not to forget that you need to remain respectful.

One of the most intriguing points of the conversation was the topic of funding when it comes to South African sports. This is a topic that keeps coming up in my conversations with South African sportspeople.

Modern Wisdom Podcast that I referenced:

Stu Morton - Rowing the Atlantic Solo

I recommend people go and check out more of Chris’content on Modern Wisdom. His podcast is truly amazing.

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