Tara was a top-level junior tennis player which led to her fascination with the psychology of performance and, subsequently, to pursue it academically. She went on to become the first full-time sport psychologist appointed by a British nation (Sport Wales). She has worked with Olympians, World and Commonwealth Champions and elite performers across a wide range of sports, including track and field, badminton, squash, judo, karate, boxing, table tennis, European Tour golfers, cricketers and the GB canoe slalom team. She has also served as the HQ Psychologist for the GB Olympic Winter Games Team and Team Wales at two Commonwealth Games. Tara has published numerous articles on the psychology of high performance and she has also designed and delivered elite coach education programmes.
More recently, Tara discovered pickleball - and she absolutely loves it! So much so that, in just her first year of playing, she was crowned National Women’s Singles and Doubles Champion in the 50+ 4.0 category. In her second year of playing she won Silver at the English Open (Senior Women’s Singles) as well as Gold (Senior Women’s Singles) and Silver (Senior Women’s Doubles) at the Welsh Open. In addition, she won Bronze at the English Nationals (Senior Women’s Doubles). Tara is also a certified Level 1 club coach. Her first-hand experience with the sport, combined with her expertise in performance psychology, gives her a unique perspective on the mental aspects of competitive play.
Graham was a high-level athlete, playing top level rugby as well as age-group international cricket and hockey. His experiences in elite sport sparked a deep fascination with performance psychology, leading to extensive research as an academic at Loughborough University on how top performers thrive under intense pressure. He has authored over 150 scientific articles and five books on the subject. Graham has worked with Olympic and World Champions, the GB Olympic Team, Wales rugby team, GB hockey team, GB bobsleigh team, Olympic boxing referees, European Tour golfers, cricketers, squash players, rowers, track and field athletes, the Royal Marines and the London Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Unit. He has also designed and delivered elite coach education programmes.
Graham has recently taken up pickleball, and like the rest of us, he’s completely hooked! He is also a certified Level 1 club coach so that his personal experience with the sport, combined with his expertise in performance psychology, makes him uniquely positioned to help players develop a winning mindset.
