Brooke Neal - Finding BalanceBrooke was an independent and stubborn kid growing up. She knew what she wanted and was highly driven to go out and get it. 

Chasing her dream of elite sporting success, Brooke first made the New Zealand Blacks Sticks as a 19-year-old. 

But it wasn't what she expected. 

Instead of fame and fortune, it was a massive struggle. She was training harder than ever before and yet her performance was getting worse. 

Something had to change. Over the next 10 years of her life, 176 games, one Olympics and a Commonwealth gold medal, Brooke went on a quest to calm down her 'itch' to be forever chasing things down. To find a sense of calm. To anchor herself to what's important. To find balance. 

Now, Brooke is teaching young female athletes to do the same. 

In this conversation, Brooke shares her strongly held belief that when you take care of your hauora, your sporting performance will prosper 

Brooke and I also talk about:

  • Where her motivation comes from;
  • The importance of doing less in a busy, outcome-orientated world;
  • Why ever young athlete needs a reflective practice;
  • FOPO (fear of missing out) disorder;
  • The greatest gift her parents ever gave her;
  • The information-rich world we're living in and why it's overwhelming our young athletes;
  • Setting boundaries on social media;
  • Finding her Balance - Brooke's signature course;
  • The power of the community; and
  • Much, much more.

This is Brooke's story.

Kia oraCraig

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