Episode #7: Kevin Currell
Purposeful Ambitions: Understanding and Inspiring Passion Beyond Performance
Welcome back to The Excitable Soul Podcast! I'm your host, James Glover, and today's episode is a special one as we have a true leader in the world of sports performance joining us. I'm thrilled to introduce our guest, Kevin Currell, the director of performance support and science at the UK Sports Institute.
In this episode, Kevin and I delve deep into the captivating topic of purpose. We explore how understanding, accessing, and unleashing purpose can shape our lives, careers, and the world around us.
Our conversation is deeply rooted in the power of finding meaning and connection, and we reflect on the impact of creating an environment that goes beyond ambitious sports goals. We'll uncover the significance of the London 2012 Olympic Games and how it united people beyond mere performance.
Kevin shares his inspiring journey, from growing up on a farm and observing his purpose-driven grandfather to excelling in the world of sports performance. As we join the dots of his experiences, we unveil the driving force behind his relentless pursuit of excellence and his passion for proving doubters wrong.
Through Kevin's unique perspective, we understand the individual nature of purpose and its influence on leadership, self-worth, and personal growth. Our discussion emphasises the importance of embracing fear and unknown challenges, and we explore how purpose can navigate uncertainty and open new doors in our lives and careers.
Links in this episode:
Let's understand and unleash the essence of purpose that drives us to be our best selves. Welcome to an episode that promises to leave you feeling invigorated and determined to navigate life with a renewed sense of purpose., we continue to dive deep into the topic of purpose and finding meaning in our lives.
Read the transcript here
James Glover [00:00:09]:
Alrighty. Welcome to the Excitable Soul podcast. Here, we are interested in all things purpose. We want to know where and how people find Meaning and connection in their lives. In every episode, we're gonna be hearing the real life stories of how people have uncovered, understood, and unleashed their own unique Tense of purpose. Our hope is that we can all learn from the stories and the journeys of our guests so that we can better find the sense of purpose in our own lives. I'm host, James Glover, performance coach and purpose nerd. I'm incredibly excited to be exploring these stories with you.
James Glover [00:00:44]:
So let's get going, Shall we? Today, our guest is doctor Kevin Curl. He's director of performance support and science At the UK Sports Institute, he has supported athletes and sports into 8 Olympic games, either in a leadership role or as a performance nutritionist. Kaif has been actively exploring and applying purpose as a leader and in his own life for well over a decade. And most importantly, he's a dad, Husband and can normally be found attempting to get better at golf. Alright. Welcome, Kev. Absolutely wonderful to have you on the Excitable Soul podcast. I'm massively excited for this conversation.
James Glover [00:01:28]:
We've known each other a while. A more purpose driven leader, I'm not sure I've ever come across. I'm sure we will talk about the 1,000 of Hours spent going up and down the m one, kind of debating, all things meaning and connection, but I just wanted to to welcome you and say thanks very much for coming on.
Kevin Currell [00:01:47]:
Thanks for inviting me, and, it was kinda your fault I got into purpose, to be honest. So it feels, it feels, right to to, be chatting to you about it today.
James Glover [00:01:57]:
Awesome. Amazing. So we, we always look to to kind of work through 3 steps around, people's, understanding of purpose. The first one being kind of uncovering it. Where did you start to find, And understand the things that were kind of really meaningful to you. And then we'll kind of move into that. Well, then once you found it, how did you start to really kinda make sense of it and, and kind of access it and utilize it? And then the third element of it is where did you on where did you really unleash, purpose in in your world. And so if you don't mind, I'd like to kinda start at the start and think about the kind of the uncovering of of purpose and its significance for you in your life.
James Glover [00:02:39]:
You know? What are what are some of the moments, some of the experiences that have kind of truly shaped who you are in the world?
Kevin Currell [00:02:48]:
Well, yeah, it's a big question to start with to to get my brain going. Well, yeah. Welcome. Welcome. Well, I, what sort I I mean, definitely my first Interaction with the concept of purpose and where that might be was definitely you and I driving up and down the m one, and I think you shared the Simon Sinek Talk with me. I think you went I think you're like this, and, you were absolutely right, there as well. So definitely that being awareness of Purpose is a concept. I remember watching that TED talk and thinking, well, I think I can do that.
Kevin Currell [00:03:22]:
That makes sense to me. I maybe I could do this leadership thing. Well, I can have a go at that. That that just makes total sense to me. For sure. But I guess some of the moments that have shaped me or my purpose or maybe where it's Come to to 4 as, I grew up in a sport. My kid living on a farm, I thought I think I was Probably meant to be a farmer in previous generations. I was in the middle of Lincolnshire, in the middle of nowhere.
Kevin Currell [00:03:57]:
So, But what what I did see a lot was living on living on that farm was my granddad and how he he ran the farm. And, Like, I probably didn't know at the time, but you're sort of learning off somebody who was purpose driven, and that was purpose driven and an expert, actually, I had I definitely didn't realize at the time, but you sort of reflect back now with a sort of tacit knowledge around farming and crops and animals and, Absolutely amazing, but, like, the the purpose he would have to do that for his family. I almost wish I could go back and have that conversation. He was not around anymore, so I almost wish I could go back and have that conversation with him, as well. So I think growing up doing that, for sure, but being absolutely sport mad, and I'm lucky to have a career in sport and still sport mad.
James Glover [00:04:47]:
You know you know what, Kev? There's some automatically, right, You piqued my curiosity because you talk about, that that kind of role model experience of seeing The way that somebody else behaves in in the that that kind of formative period. Right? So when we're talking about connecting the dots, looking back over our lives and just seeing the moments that have really shaped who we are, But having that kind of raw and seeing that there was there was purpose in what your grandfather was doing and and why he was doing it. But, also, really interestingly, he was expert at what he does. You are a doctor, and you are and have been operating at an elite level as a practitioner. You don't get much more expert than that. So really interesting that you kinda pull that out immediately from From that experience?
Kevin Currell [00:05:35]:
Yeah. Yeah. It probably is, actually. I think that, some of that, element of wanting to be really good what I do, I drive and whether I'd be going off and doing a PhD and getting those little doctor bits and even sort of 17 years later. I'm still quite proud of that. I still use it. That's why I do it in NBA. All these sort of other things to try and be as good as I can.
Kevin Currell [00:05:58]:
I think they were. You sort of seeing other people, You know, growing up on a farm, seeing the hard work that goes into that, seeing the there's no 9 to 5 on a farm. It's only seasonal, you know, this time of year. Although not today is raining, but, you know, even as a child, I'd have been out in the fields and helping I was driving tractors when I was old enough and and everything. Like, you'd have been full all hands on deck and because that's the only way they earn money, at that time. And it's a it's sort of a, Yeah. So I've never understood 9 to 5 if I don't get it, because I've never experienced it either. But I think that definitely that drive to get better, but I think Some of that also comes from like, I've always had quite a drive to prove people wrong.
Kevin Currell [00:06:43]:
I sort of think back to them sort of formative years, and you sort of almost have teachers, coaches in sport in terms who believe in you and the power of that, but I got equal power from proving those that doubted me wrong.
James Glover [00:07:05]:
Yeah. Where where did where did that come from? When did you start to become aware of The of the kind of both sides of the
Kevin Currell [00:07:11]:
now. If someone tells me I can't do something, that's he would fire me right up. I mean, I can remember sort of prime end of primary school. They sort of, always at 11 plus to go to a grand school or go to the local, whenever it was back then. And I remember the teacher doubting whether I'd passed the 11 plus, and I I think I just scraped through by a point or something there. And I remember sort of Proving them, so I've proved you wrong. Even a sort of, what, 10, 11, whatever page would be at that point, they are Prove them wrong, or, I I remember in 6th form, my His biology teacher, I remember them teaching us him teaching us, and it's almost as like we were copying stuff out of a textbook. We were writing stuff up.
Kevin Currell [00:08:09]:
What? I'm is this why am I sat here doing this? Triple biology on a Friday afternoon. Why the hell am I sat here When I all I gotta do is read this book and I pass, so I decided not to turn up. He Decided I wasn't very good and was sort of saying, oh, you're never gonna do anything. You never you're gonna never gonna get anywhere. Then, I think I got something like 96% in the the exam or something really stupid. Like, I'm so I'm just gonna prove you wrong. Like, It's probably the only it's like the best mark I've ever got. I mean, I'm sort of, you know, to one degree type type level.
Kevin Currell [00:08:46]:
Like yeah. But if you find me, anything can happen. So I sort of proving wrong, but trying to trying to get better and better. I just Always been sort of there and important to me. And, yeah, if you Tell me I can't do it. Oh, wow. That's gonna fire me right up. And I think I love
James Glover [00:09:06]:
the fact that you can talk about 11 plus and doing, you know, kind of GCSE a level type age. And, you know, here you are now in your stage of life, Having done the things that you've done, you know, married, children, still going, don't tell me I can't do it because well, I'd I'm Yeah.
Kevin Currell [00:09:25]:
Still, yeah, still, I suppose, like, the midlife crisis trying to play golf because, you know, it it tells you it tells people to do it. Yeah. Yeah. So I I think those I I think you kind of get, certainly in in my experience, you people believe in you and people doubt you. They can be equally as important. Certainly for me, I could you know, having the support of people, but also having the The doubts of people, like, I think certainly for me, they're equally powerful and sort of part of that sort of formative elements, really.
James Glover [00:10:01]:
Yeah. And I and I love that being able to, describe the tension often. Because when people you know, we hear this, like, this language around purpose and being purposeful, and I and at Some degree, it can feel quite overwhelming. Like, how do I even begin to understand that for myself? Or where do I even start? Or How do you describe it, or how do you make sense of it? And often, it's really, really simple things Really simple things that have occurred or shown up in important moments, but but help us hold tension. They're almost like scaffolding around tension So that more things become possible. You're not right. Unless I've got somebody to believe in me, I can't do it. Or unless I'm always being put under pressure or challenge, I'm not gonna be able to strive.
James Glover [00:10:49]:
It's actually both. It's both and.
Kevin Currell [00:10:51]:
We're gonna talk about both. Yeah. A 100%. And I think the Like, I don't know if it is words, a purpose. I think it's a feeling. I think you you you try I've tried to sort of Put things down on paper, and then you put them down on paper. That's not quite right. And you, like, you keep wordsmithing and you kinda, you know, chronicle with a fancy statement and talk about your purpose.
Kevin Currell [00:11:11]:
And Then you sort of put it down, and you come back to it the day after. And you think, no. That's that's not quite right. And I've I've never been able to find Exactly the words. I just have some rough words that make me think that I can come back to, but I've I've never sort of Oh, my purpose is and it's a nice snappy, line that could describe it, and anyone would understand it. It means something to me. But I I think it's sort Feeling and, there and I know I am a far better person when I'm on a mission, When it connects to whatever that purpose is, whatever that feeling, whether that be work or life or if if I'm not connected it's nice. I'm probably pretty average because I'm just not interested.
Kevin Currell [00:11:55]:
But if I get excited by something and I'm on a mission, then I can I can sort of feel it? I'm happy. It's a So a feeling that almost you can't put words to?
James Glover [00:12:04]:
Yeah. And, again, I think that's really important just to kind of underline for for people who are listening is The the words can help us make sense to some degree, but it's not the bit that you're tapping into. So I actually talk about finding a sense of purpose Because it, it alludes more to that feel that intuitive feeling state, and we can access that more and more readily when we have some words to put around it. But it's not the words that create the power. It's the feeling that creates the power. And that's the thing that can unleash not just discretionary effort, but, like, a level of of conviction that Makes more things possible, even the impossible possible.
Kevin Currell [00:12:48]:
Yeah. I think I think you're right. That conviction provides that, Like, like, when so when I became head of nutrition at the institute, I was on a mission to create the best team nutrition service in the world. Like, that was, They excited me. It'd been my profession. It'd been the organization I'd grown on up in. It was in a bit of trouble. There'd been some challenges.
Kevin Currell [00:13:17]:
And I remember sitting here. I remember sitting down with a few people and almost, like, trying to express that sort of vision and where I wanna take it, and they were going, yeah, that's brilliant, but I don't think you're ever gonna do it. You know, okay. You just I'm gonna prove you wrong. So I'll find out again. So but that sort of it's that persistence and mission That let's go in there. And I and I think once once you like that, and then if you start all those with you on that if it's a, you know, if it's a work context or community thing or whatever. Oh, Oh, we're back.
Kevin Currell [00:13:52]:
Thought we dropped out. Yeah. You sort of, yeah, when you're honest, that sort of persistence and and that real, I almost like a gut feel that, you know, that this is where we're going. I'm gonna take people with me.
James Glover [00:14:07]:
Yeah. And and Given the the kind of the environment, the high performance sport environment that you operate in, I mean, one of the things that was an observation for me in that environment was there were Athletes who were determined to to to achieve the outcome, to win the medal, and then there were athletes who wanted to win the medal but were in service of something Far beyond the medal. Their drive to want to achieve were far beyond the medal. And it was those guys that you saw. And when you met, you were like, yeah. You're different. There's I can I can see that there is something here that is going to drive your commitment in a completely different way than the other guys who just wanna win, just wanna create the outcome?
Kevin Currell [00:14:49]:
Yeah. Definitely. But I and I and I think there is that, There's always that element of winning because it's sport. It's you is winning and losing. Like, you can't ever get away from that. And it is tough to win. And those truly great athletes, they are relentless in that pursuit of that, but they're also trying to do something that might be changing how the sport is perceived or some social impact element or getting other people involved or you know, you can like, we're recording this in between a semifinal and a final for the Lionesses. Like, the way they have taken that and empowered girls to, DPA, physical activity, just being powered as a father or daughter.
Kevin Currell [00:15:34]:
It's amazing to watch them not only win How they're working together, but then what they're trying to do beyond that. Or you look at the England cricket team at the minute where they're like, we want To sort of keep TestCricket going, we wanna make it entertaining and peep attract people to it. And if we happen to win along the way, that's a bonus.
James Glover [00:15:53]:
And and, yeah, I think you're using 2 really important and relevant examples here because this concept of buzz ball, if you're If you're if you're a cricket fan or not, the the the the leaders of of those of that team right Now are just turning around to the the players and saying, we want you to do what you do to the best of your ability. Un be unshackled. They're not going you gotta go and score as many runs as you possibly can. You gotta hit the ball in this area. They've gone, you be you, boo, and and And just go just go and be free and be liberated. And you hear you hear the women's football team talk. They they've grown into the tournament. They were, You know, by their own admission, nowhere near the level that they wanted to be for for the but there was a faith and a belief in each other and what they wanted.
James Glover [00:16:43]:
And I heard, one of the one of the, one of the team talked the other day, and they went, we've got some pretty lofty ambitions. And you're going, yeah, but they're creating an environment around them that makes that possible, and that's beyond football.
Kevin Currell [00:16:57]:
And and I think when you're part of those moments, you know, we both had the privilege to be part of London 2012 and the support teams behind that. I mean, that just was almost A moment in time that to to see not only amazing performances, but the the way, you know, the streets are you know? We're both both involved in triathlon, and there's over a 1000000 odd people on the streets of London supporting 2 kids from Yorkshire running Running running in life around a lake. I mean, it's a bit bonkers, but I I but I just remember the I don't even remember the sport, but I just remember the Feeling and and the way that sport had done something bigger than just performance. It almost brings a Kind of brings a nation together. It kind of connects people. Everyone's just nice to each other. People are talking to each other. I mean, people talking to me in the tube.
Kevin Currell [00:17:46]:
I happens to have team GBK on. I think they thought I was an athlete. But, you know, that well, that doesn't happen now. Like, no one will talk to you on the tube. Like, I think just, Yeah. When you kinda get those per when you think I'm still in my word, when you get sport and purpose beyond winning together, it's just incredibly powerful.
James Glover [00:18:05]:
Yeah. And and I and I totally I totally agree. And, actually, one of the things that was, like, I'm I'm most proud of From the London 2012, over and above, the kind of achieving the medal target was the games makers. Those people Chain like, just created an atmosphere in London for the entirety of the games. Like, they they set the tone for the way people were gonna experience that that event, and, that That would that made it as much for me as as, as anything else. And, you know, we when we talk about purpose, how do we break that down? Well, it's 2 really simple things. 1 is What's meaningful to me? And the 2nd bit is, what's the contribution that's beyond myself? And, you know, what we're what we're really describing here is is that is that contribution. It's the service to something that's beyond my own self interest.
James Glover [00:19:03]:
And what that does to us as human beings when we kind of aggregate All of that up, poof, it becomes becomes something that lives in its own right.
Kevin Currell [00:19:12]:
Yeah. No. I totally agree. I totally agree. And I think when you sort of seen or felt that experience. I probably had the privilege of leading some of that when you see it in others. Right. Just really powerful and really sort of exciting to be part of, as well.
James Glover [00:19:33]:
Brilliant. Well, I I wanna kinda pivot us back to you a little bit because we've kind of, as Noah, Just as the true leader that you are, you're you're kind of taking start with self and then quickly move to others and and and talk through those kind of experiences. But There's just something here about, you know, you understanding that connection of purpose within yourself. You know what that Feeling is and what it can unleash in you. And I think a really big part of doing work around purpose for people is just to feel enough to feel like they have a a sense of self worth, that something really significant comes from the kind of the inside out. And I'm I'm really interested in in your kind of where do the strongest influences on your sense of self worth come from in your life,
Kevin Currell [00:20:22]:
Yeah. Where is that? That's a that's a great question. I think it starts internally. I think you soon enough, I feel like I've got my own expectations, ambitions. Things you might wanna achieve, the Things that excite you, the sort of standard you set for yourself, your own behavior. So I think, Knowing that, understanding that when you get to meet those, reflecting on that, I think, is, is important. And then, I think being able to reflect, either by yourself or with others or whatever on on the experiences you're having, the expectations you got is is Key, is absolutely key. What I think
James Glover [00:21:25]:
the what's the importance of the reflect the reflection as a mechanism Then, like, I'm almost hearing there's, like, a bit of kind of calibration. Like, I I'm setting these things internally for me. Like, what what does that then mean when I put them into the world?
Kevin Currell [00:21:43]:
Yeah. Well, I think I think the I think there's there's 2 bits in there that are important. I think if you're the the points when I've sort of felt Less value, less self worth is probably because I'm looking for something from somebody else. And I don't know if like, that's it's a little bit pie in the sky, isn't it? If You're always looking for somebody else sort of assurance you're doing something well, whatever. And that's probably what start internally is, in there. And, and I remember when I got my current role, which is To step out of the nutrition world and lead across different professions. And I'd got a lot of confidence and self worth from kinda knew what I was talking about in the nutrition world. I've done a PhD.
Kevin Currell [00:22:36]:
I kinda knew I was technically I kinda had some knowledge that I could there's a bit of a safety net. All of a sudden, that went. I just oh, I mean, literally overnight I got the phone call to say you got the job and literally started the day after. It was a promotion, and got this sort of had to And so the instruction was take 20% off the budget and make you know, probably got to include redundancies. And I was like, oh my god. I used to just tell people doing Weetabix. Now I'm making a decision on whether we where where the where the who where the budget's gonna go and, Yeah. Who who probably is gonna where where the redundancies might come in, I I don't know how to do this.
Kevin Currell [00:23:21]:
I don't know how to technically do you know? Like, There's no there's no answer to this. And I I sort of realized then all you've got you're saying that is you. But I think you only come to that Through that reflection and stopping and thinking, and that might be facilitated. That might be a coach. That might be a I think I'm probably quite naturally Reflective anyway if I'm out exercising, walking the dog, driving the car, whatever. When it's sort of Quiet. I'll be sort of churning over and reflecting in now. And I I think that's where I've certainly got a lot of that self worth from is when you've had those real moments like that when I took my current role and it was really challenging.
Kevin Currell [00:24:02]:
It kinda was a crisis. I lost my technical safety net. And, obviously, you like, to to realize that you're, like, you're enough. Like, as a leader, you're in like, what you've got is enough. You've been appointed for that, not because of your technical knowledge. And I think that only comes through experience and reflection, and and Finding your way, your voice. And I think that when I have when, I guess as a person or a leader, quite hard to take separated times. Like, when I lose that, in the moments when I sort of lose the, I am enough, actually, me is, you Now what I stand for, my purpose, my values, whatever word you wanna stick on it.
Kevin Currell [00:24:53]:
The way I want to act is enough. And if I'm trying to Do it in a different way because I'm seeing someone else doing it, and, it doesn't work for me. That's probably when I'm not as not as good. The little imposter comes on your shoulder, and you Start to doubt yourself and then, in there. But, again, it's only through reflection and, that you Maybe realize that you've shifted out of maybe behaving or acting or leading in a way that you believe, And it and it comes and you can kind of come back. I had some feedback recently. I don't think it was intended as a positive feedback, actually, but so one of the things I I believe in people, I think your first job as a leader was duty of care of Others, and you just get great people together. They'll do amazing things, and I got some feedback saying, oh, sometimes you're too people focused.
Kevin Currell [00:25:47]:
Well, I think it was intended as a as an improvement. I thought, yeah. Brilliant. If you're seeing that, I don't I thank you. I'm not I'm not gonna stop. Sorry. Because that's what I believe. But when I when I sort of been knocked off those tracks, This point when I sort of don't have that self worth, you come back to your question a little bit and and feel that disappear.
Kevin Currell [00:26:10]:
So
James Glover [00:26:11]:
And so, You know, for the for the benefit of those that might be listening and saying, alright. I'm hearing 2 things here. I'm see I'm hearing experience and reflection. So there's something about, Setting setting, setting where you want to go, setting what you want to achieve, setting what you're really interest excited about. And as you're going after those things, being able to pause and reflect and go, how does this feel? Like, does this feel like it's on the right track? Does this feel like it's aligned with who I am? Give give us some give us some sense of How you were able to set those expectations internally, how you were able to kind of choose and take control over those bits rather than Which is often the case now, the expectation is set externally, and we're trying to meet something that's external from us.
Kevin Currell [00:27:02]:
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I I I'm spec we think how how I deliberately do it. I think one of the key things that's important to me is Ownership, owning the choice. Right? Like, that that is kind of, It's really important for me is it is, I guess, you'd call it value of mine. Something I hold Really tightly.
Kevin Currell [00:27:32]:
I don't like having the flip side of those. I don't like to be told what to do, but, Like, I I think that taking ownership of that, Journey and where you want to go and the persistence with those. Like, for me, it's like, for me, it's worked for me. Like, it's been important for me. You know, I'm I'm a quiet kid who grew up in the middle of rural Lincolnshire who decided first of all, decided he was gonna be a professional footballer, and then I really realized I wasn't good enough, particularly when they took out the double foot tackle from behind because that's about all What's gonna be a like, you kinda go, okay. I love sport. I'm good at science. Okay.
Kevin Currell [00:28:18]:
Let go just go Do sport science. Okay. I wanna I wanna I wanna work in sport. I remember Sat watching sport in the nineties, which was not a tough great point in time to be watching sport as a kid because especially being English and British because we weren't good at anything. Yeah. We were really bad, whether it be the Olympics or, but the only positive was Euro 96 probably, but the still, we didn't win, stuff. So but seeing what? Like, I'd love to be involved in making that better and, where that would be. And and, you know, having that persistence when there's constant knock backs, constant, you know, you You're going for roles, or you're going for something that you're just not getting them.
Kevin Currell [00:29:02]:
Right? I think it takes a, A level of resilience, I guess, to, to kind of keep going. But that for me is about own ownership there. Like I always say I can kind of do whatever I wanna do. If I really go for it. And I've always sort of had that belief, In me, Efag, of course, I've had luck along the way. But sometimes you sort of make your own look or you've gotta be in when the sort of look of opportunity, The opportunity presents itself. You've gotta, 1, be in the position and and, 2, be ready and brave enough to To take it, which is really easy to say in hindsight as well, and we sort of had a really lucky journey, I guess. But I I do think having that ownership of, choice is is certainly key for me.
James Glover [00:30:01]:
Yeah. And that there's some like, one I'm taking from that. The bit that's really landing strongly with me is this, this the kind of almost an element of control here. There are lots of things in the world can't control, but, actually, what I can control is my choice. And, and part of that choice is is how I respond to the situation I find myself in. And, you know, you're o openly talking about the kind of the knockbacks, and the kind of the resilient element of that is, alright. I didn't get what I wanted here, but I'm still making the choice for what I do next. I'm making the choice about how I react and I respond to this, situation scenario.
James Glover [00:30:40]:
And always, again, just coming back to that kind of feeling of what feels right, what feels Like, it should be next. And I think, just, you know, from personal experience of you you, Kev, you know, you are, a a PhD practitioner who has developed into an incredibly, caring, deeply effective Senior leader who you know, at one end, you could turn around and go, I'm I'm massively pragmatic and, and cerebral in the way I think and experience the world. Yet, actually, the things that have really shaped your choices come from a place of feeling and intuition and being able to kinda say that it's Both of those things together rather than 1 or the other that's helped you get to where you are?
Kevin Currell [00:31:29]:
Yeah. It's definitely both. There's definitely both. Like you say, there's an analytical bit To me, which is almost the scientist in me.
James Glover [00:31:37]:
Yeah.
Kevin Currell [00:31:41]:
That scientist allows me to realize that there's also limitations into most of that analysis, and there's always something missing so you can critique that. And and then you got your intuition. And I and I think I've also you know, if if I no. I wouldn't change a thing. I've sort of, I've been sort of really lucky to sort of have the career and and sort of life I have and done things that like, if you'd Said to me as a 15 year old, you're gonna be involved in 7 Olympic games and including 1 at home and helping athletes win medals, and you're gonna have probably one of the most senior roles in sports science in the Country and I've been I don't I don't come. Yeah. Yeah. Whatever.
Kevin Currell [00:32:20]:
I don't know. You're dreaming. But, But the what I've learned along the way is actually why I get far more satisfaction out. It is around feelings and intuition and, going into areas Whether you don't have all the data and the information and the insight because you're going into somewhere that has never been done before Or, yeah, like, I I get great satisfaction about doing something for the 1st time, And that was me, literally the 1st time. So it'd be involved when triathlon won their 1st Olympic medals. Like, I was involved when they won the a couple of others. Well, it was nowhere near as satisfying as the first one. So there's something in me about stepping into that unknown space where you kinda have go on your feeling, your intuition, and you have to do it with others
James Glover [00:33:20]:
Yeah.
Kevin Currell [00:33:20]:
And going after big, epic challenges. And that
James Glover [00:33:26]:
that's almost like the third the third part of our of our, our conversation, really, about unleashing purpose. And and, you know, the the fact that we live in a world of deep uncertainty. We don't know what's coming. Nobody saw COVID coming and who knows what's next. And the the the The ability to cultivate a sense of purpose and what it can do in helping us navigate the unknown and go into the unknown. Like, you were actually speaking about that that kind of almost leap of faith from a, I want to go after that purposefully. Where is where is the dark bit that I can go shine a light on. How how and where else has, you know, that kind of sense of intuition and and, and sense of purpose enabled you to go into the unknown? Where where else in your life is you have you seen that enable you to do things that you Didn't think that you could or that you hadn't done before?
Kevin Currell [00:34:25]:
Yeah. It's interesting because I I think, I was thinking as you were saying that I think as I Understood that about myself and, you know, in a way, that's thanks to some of the work we've done together. I'm sort of been able to sort of Understand that. I've been able to be more deliberate in that. If I sort of, You know, so pick an example outside of work. I've decided I've taken up not only working in triathlon, but doing triathlons. And I decided to have a go to do it in 9 month. And, It was just a crazy journey to train for that, do that, to swim for I'm not a great swimmer, so swim for the best part of 2 hours to Bike for god knows how long and then run a marathon.
Kevin Currell [00:35:14]:
Like, it's actually a bit crazy even talking about it, but kind of, and and, of course, many people have done that, but that was for me about challenging myself into a space I know. And I always remember I started a training diary. I didn't complete a training diary, but I started it. And I always remember writing at the beginning of that, which sort of had signed up for it. It was all 8, 9 months down the line. And I remember writing almost like, why why why do I wanna do this? Like, why is this important? And I remember, something like when I'm on the start, I'm looking over the water. I want to find out whether I will fight or I will Fly. You know, how deep will I go? Now I didn't realize at the time that all about going into the unknown, about me and that, but I I remember that that was driving force.
Kevin Currell [00:36:10]:
Now on that first time, and I didn't find the answer to that After I left it, think, oh, there was more in the tank. But the 2nd I ran, I did. And I found the answer to that because it was about 10 miles to go on the run my Me went, and I guess I had a choice at that point. I would stop or I somehow hobble through 10 miles, and I hobble through 10 miles, and and finished. And I found the answer to that question, which now at the time, I wouldn't have even thought that's about purpose or thinking, but there was something yeah. Like, I wanna go test myself to see, like, when the going gets really tough, what am I gonna do? And then, yeah, and that sort of taps into that for me going into I get excited by going into things that are unknown, not Scary that, yeah, that might fail.
James Glover [00:37:07]:
Yeah.
Kevin Currell [00:37:07]:
You might not achieve that. Like, That excites me.
James Glover [00:37:10]:
And and there's something again, I'm I'm just kind of putting myself in the perspective of the people that are listening to this conversation and going, Wow. This guy is, like, genuinely embracing, you know, fear and and and looking it in the face and going, alright. Bring it on. I don't know if I could do that. I don't know if I have that in the locker. Like, what what would you say to to those people that are maybe thinking and feeling that?
Kevin Currell [00:37:35]:
Yeah. I I don't think I mean, that First of all, that's about me and my purpose, and I think everyone's is is individual. So that that's you know, that's my experience. That's important for me. But it doesn't like, stepping into that fear doesn't happen in every form my life. If you ask me to get on an airplane, oh, you watch it because I can't stand the things. In fact, I will happily go on holiday in the UK so I don't have to fly and deal with the rain. Or if you ask me to upsell down something or If you ask me to get on stage and sing and dance, like, you wouldn't so it's not stepping into fear of everything Right.
Kevin Currell [00:38:17]:
Any any chance. But, also, that's my purpose. That's my the things that excite me, they're not gonna excite everybody. But I think it is, You know, it's it is about finding what's right for you, what excites you, what how you wanna be and how you behave. And I and I think if you find that it's right for you, It's not about anyone else's.
James Glover [00:38:35]:
Yeah. I mean, I I think for me, Kev, that's just a really wonderful place for us to kind of finish the conversation here just, on that really clear message that purpose is individual to you, it's about Taking the time doing the work, understanding, what that feels like, and being able to unleash it. Because one of the brilliant outcomes of a sense of purpose is Focus and direction. It's not about destination and outcome. It's about, am I going in the way that I want to be able to go? Whatever that looks like. So how yours is focused And there's almost the spec the specificity of it is so clear to you now, and you're able to access it, Utilize it, put it to work in the places that really matter, but that's different for everybody, and we can all go on that journey of discovery.
Kevin Currell [00:39:25]:
Yeah. Totally. Totally. I I I don't think getting hooks up in what the words are or
James Glover [00:39:30]:
Yeah.
Kevin Currell [00:39:31]:
That it's gotta be right in some way or that Yeah. All that you like, I found How I think about purpose and and sort of understand that sort of feeling and sense as evolved, I would probably use different words today than I might have done 10 years ago.
James Glover [00:39:51]:
Yeah.
Kevin Currell [00:39:52]:
Probably, internally, the feeling's the same.
James Glover [00:39:54]:
Yeah. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Kev, just wonderful to have you on the Excitable Soul podcast. Just really brilliant conversation. I love how we've gone from kind of farming into 2 footed calls into, you know, kind of a leadership into and across and really stayed with feeling, and purpose being that that that kind of intuitive sense of something that doesn't necessarily have words. Yeah.
James Glover [00:40:26]:
So thank you for for being with me and being on the podcast.
Kevin Currell [00:40:29]:
Oh, no. Absolute pleasure. Thanks for the invite.
James Glover [00:40:31]:
You are welcome, sir. Massive thank you for taking the time to listen to the Excitable Soul podcast. If you are interested in uncovering, understanding, And unleashing your sense of purpose, come and explore our purpose immersion programs at the excitable from you there or being with you on our next episode. Have an incredible day.