5 minute read
Johnny Nelson
Success and Failure: Same Coin
currently the longest-reigning world cruiserweight champion, having held the WBO title from 1999 to 2005 and defended it against thirteen other boxers. An inspirational figure, Johnny has undergone the hardships of a sports professional and used this experience to inform his second career as a boxing analyst, Sky Sports pundit, and overall role model for aspiring athletes and sports enthusiasts everywhere.
Johnny Nelson shares how he earned his stripes inside and outside the ring.
Sports broadcasting and media is a field brimming with former athletes turned journalists, analysts, consultants, and television personalities. The transition is a natural one considering these individuals have in-depth knowledge of their respective sports as well as connections to the competitors, teams, organizations, and movers and shakers within their former discipline.
Johnny Nelson is one such example. Johnny is a British former professional boxer and “I fell onto my path of sport. I had to learn on the job when it came to success and self-belief. It wasn’t until I believed I was good that the penny started to drop. I mistook nerves for fear so my thought process was upside down in almost everything, in how I performed, how I approached it, how I fought… Once I understood that [I mistook nerves for fear], I realized it was a transferable skill. Once I finished being a professional sportsman, I was asked to be a guest on two shows. We’re so self-conscious of the information that comes out of ourselves, how we look, that we don’t give the best version of ourselves. I was brought up in an environment where from the age of 14, I learned to speak and feel comfortable in my skin - not to be afraid of stepping out my lane,” said Johnny.
Johnny Nelson
Keep an empty stomach
In his autobiography Hard Road to Glory, Johnny details his hard climb from the bottom of the ranks to the top of the world. Looking back, he believes that his career highlights included both successes and failures. For Johnny, it was the good times, like finally lifting the world title, and the bad times, such as spending six lonely years in Europe as a sparring partner, that made him who he is today.
“Failure and success are the best things that I can draw on, especially now looking back. At the time, you just think failures are the worst moments in your life. But, when you see yourself come through a journey and look at your achievements, you understand that it is a thin line between success and failure. Until you’ve succeeded, you think getting past that line and climbing up that hill is the hardest mountain to climb. But, when you get there, you realize ‘Eureka, I can do this’. ..The hardest thing is staying there, not getting there. Once you achieve success, you’ve got to have that same desire and empty stomach. We see people becoming complacent when they think they’ve reached their goal and then it all slips away, they lose it all.”
Character as a differentiator
Having earned his stripes in the ring, Johnny finished his career as a professional sportsman and transitioned from being the entertainment to analyzing it for the benefit of fans and broadcasters. However, the role change from active athlete to the engaging pundit is not as simple as it looks on paper. There is a certain Je nais se quois required, which relates to character and competitive edge.
“Two people could go to college. They could get exactly the same qualifications. Those two people could go for the same job. Why would one person get the same job over the other? The reason why is the one with character will always stand out above the one without character. Character doesn’t mean putting on a singing and dancing act, it means being you, being somebody that the person you’re in front of can relate to. That’s why you would stand out amongst others who have achieved exactly the same as you,” explained Johnny.
Sports Feature
Sports Feature
Johnny Nelson
Challenges for today’s professional athletes
Professional athletes have never been strangers to feedback; the development of a thick skin goes with the territory. However, in the digital age, the number of channels for people to share their opinions has increased exponentially and athletes face scrutiny across television, social media, and a plethora of other platforms. In times like this, having a mentor can make the world of difference. For Johnny, it was Brendan Ingle who acted as his friend, mentor, trainer, and inspiration on his path to the top.
“The world has changed massively, especially with social media and that fly-on-the-wall opinion. Now, you’ve got keyboard warriors who you’re never going to meet telling you how rubbish you are and how you are never going to do anything. Everybody needs a mentor and that mentor can come in all shapes and sizes: a brother, sister, mother, father, colleague, or stranger. A mentor is there to guide you, nudge you, and get the best out of you.
“So many people have an opinion. It’s hard for athletes to ignore the opinions of someone that’s never done it. I call them ‘armchair champions’... How can you let somebody that has never worked as hard as you, that doesn’t even understand what you do, but just watches the end result, affect your performance, confidence, and mindset? Take the congratulations, take the criticism, but don’t take it on board,” encouraged Johnny.
Reach your end goal
For Johnny, it comes down to two big questions: how much do you want it and how much are you willing to sacrifice to get it? Be honest with yourself, dig deep, and see if you have the inner resources to reach your goal. If, on your journey to the top, you tie too much of your worth into others’ opinions, you will be buffeted by the empty gusts and winds of the spectator storm. Whereas, if you remain single-minded and get on with the job, magic happens.
“My simple message is anybody can do it. As humans, we overcomplicate our thoughts and how we get to that end goal. But, once you start to believe in yourself and invest in yourself, you create a path to get there…If you stay that hungry, you stay that focused and you stay that ambitious internally, then I’ll be very surprised if you didn’t reach your ultimate goal,” ended Johnny.
PROJECT DIRECTED BY Malvern Kandemwa
WRITTEN BY Romana Moares
Christian Lindener, Global Head of Innovation, Airbus CEO, Scale innovation division
