Episode 179: In this episode of our Sport Performance Leadership Podcast, host Pete McKnight speaks to Barry Shillabeer, a globally experienced sports performance leader with over two decades in elite sport. As Head of Performance at Aspire Academy of Sporting Excellence in Qatar, Barry leads multidisciplinary teams, optimizing athlete development, strategic planning, and performance evaluation.

Previously, Barry played a key role in British high-performance sport, holding leadership positions with the English Institute of Sport, British Swimming, UK Athletics, and the Rugby Football Union. He also served as Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for Team GB at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, contributing to legacy facility design and long-term performance strategies.

Topics Discussed:

Leadership in elite sports performance – Managing high-performance programs in the UK and Qatar
The evolution of leadership – Adapting leadership styles to different teams and challenges
The importance of human connection and trust – Building strong relationships with athletes, coaches, and staff
Organizational structures and processes – Ensuring efficiency in performance support, sport science, and data analytics
Transformational leadership and impact – Creating positive sports cultures and inspiring future generations
The value of continuous learning – Seeking mentorship, embracing new perspectives, and evolving as a leader
Practical advice for aspiring leaders – Technical proficiency, work ethic, and proactive goal-setting

Tune in for expert insights on leadership, athlete development, and the future of high-performance sport.

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Where you can find Barry:

•⁠ LinkedIn

•⁠ Instagram

•⁠ X

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Sponsors

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

Remaker: The Portable Strength Tracking Ecosystem. Remaker provides real-time insights to optimise your performance, making even the smallest improvements in your strength training visible in an engaging and powerful format. Remakers integrate seamlessly with the exercise equipment you already use, and the app provides meaningful metrics for every rep, of every set, of every exercise.

VALD: makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training.

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Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

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Our Team

Tariff Fallout, Tesla Justice, Elie Mystal Hates America, & Laura Loomer Starts WH Drama