In this week's episode, we are delighted to welcome Ross Simpson, Assistant Director and Head of Sport at the University of Edinburgh.
As an institution, Edinburgh can boast some big numbers, 50,000 students (36,000 at any one time in the City), 15,000 staff and 21 academic schools. Their sport programme is then equally large with 70 sport clubs, 1,000 volunteers and 21,000 gym members.
This then is a fascinating opportunity to peel back some of the layers and get an insight into the workings of a high-performing sport department. We'll hear Ross describe how they engage with such large numbers and the unique governance and management structure they have in place, working in true alignment with the sports union.
Ross also shares his passion for volunteering and how this has taken him to some of the largest sporting events in the world. We'll also find out about his career to date and the inspiration that are his grandparents, both of whom have been awarded the Polar Medal from the Queen.
Ross suggests two resources that continue to inspire him:
The High Performance Podcast
Essentialism, Greg McKeown
Lastly you can check out the documentary film about Myrtle Simpson here: https://myrtlefilm.com/
Episode edited by Peter Lamber, Cardiff Met Sport TV