John McAvoy: How to Thrive in Lockdown
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Many of us are struggling to adjust to this new way of life. Having spent 24 hours a day in a 12ft by 8ft prison cell for a whole year, my guest on this week’s podcast knows more about isolation than most of us. You may remember John McAvoy from episode 91 of the podcast, where he shared his inspirational story of going from serving two life sentences to breaking British and World sporting records whilst in prison. Now a free man, he is a Nike sponsored athlete, gives talks to schoolchildren and has spoken at 10 Downing Street.
On this podcast, John shares what he learnt from his time in isolation – lessons which we can all apply in our lives, especially now. He explains how he maintained a sense of control over his life by keeping himself mentally and physically fit and why keeping a routine, staying active and keeping ourselves present in the moment are more important now than ever.
John invites us to think of our current situation as an amazing opportunity to re-evaluate our lives and explore new things with the newfound extra time. If we look at what John achieved whilst in a small isolated prison, imagine what we can all achieve in our own lives right now. As John says, this could be your moment of growth.
Finally, John shares his invaluable top tips that I know will help many of you bring a sense of calm and control into your lives. Whenever I speak to John, I come out of the conversation a better and more enlightened person than I was when we started. After listening to this, I hope you do too.
Watch the video version of this interview in full below.
Relevant articles:
- Terry Waite: what my years in captivity taught me about coping with isolation
- John’s blog – Escape to Brilliance
- From iron bars to Ironman: How a prison rowing machine turned a career criminal into a record-breaking triathlete
- The incredible story of John McAvoy, armed robber turned top triathlete
- Meet John McAvoy, the former criminal who is aiming to become the world’s best long-distance triathlete
- A Turn In The Road
- Iron Man Set Free: John McAvoy’s Way of the Wildcard
*DISCLAIMER: Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.
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Dr Rangan Chatterjee
MbChB, BSc (Hons), MRCP, MRCGP
