Two-weight world champion boxer Carl Frampton has urged people in Northern Ireland to talk openly about their mental health as a first step to building the resilience needed to get through the Covid-19 crisis.
Speaking as part of a new podcast series launched today (17 November) by Danske Bank, Frampton talks about the highs and lows of his career, what stopped him from throwing in the towel after defeats and the strength he has drawn from his family, his community, his coaches and mentors throughout his career.
In a wide ranging interview with broadcaster Dr Wendy Austin, Carl outlines how he and other boxers have dealt with Covid-19, how the discipline of training has helped him maintain a positive attitude, why mental resilience is as important as physical conditioning in his sport and why he is happy to shed the tough guy image to talk to young people about stress and mental health.
“There was a time when sportsmen and boxers in particular wouldn’t have talked about mental health, but that needed to change and it has changed. It is so important to me to encourage people to talk about it because that’s the first step to building the resilience you need to deal with whatever challenges you are going through,” says Carl.
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“Resilience is so important in all parts of life. It’s difficult for people at the moment, everyone is stressed about the future. But we need to encourage people not to give up, to take whatever positives they can out of this situation and look for the light at the end of the tunnel. That’s hard to do if you don’t talk about it.”
The Danske Advantage podcast series, hosted by Dr Wendy Austin, launched today with three podcasts which are now available to download from the bank’s website. In addition to the Fighting Back With Frampton episode, Unlocking Success Through Digital Transformation features Greg Bradley, MD of BlkBox Fitness alongsideJerry Staple, Co-Founder of Origin Digital, and a Building Human Connections in a Virtual First World episode sees Wendy interview Danske’s HR Director, Caroline van der Feltz.
Robert McCullough, Head of Business Sector Engagement at Danske Bank said: “It was refreshing to hear Carl’s stories about how he has built resilience and how that has helped him deal with challenges in his life and career. In the past six months we have experienced a situation that no one could have foreseen and which has taken a toll on everyone. The impact on local businesses and our society as a whole has been immense and hugely challenging.
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“Our aim at Danske Bank is to help Northern Ireland grow again by normalising business and helping companies in all sectors to grow out of the current crisis. One of the ways we can do this is by providing customers with insights and knowledge that will help them re-shape and future proof their businesses for what lies ahead.
"The way people access information and insights has changed dramatically and digital is now the medium of choice, so we are delighted to share stories and insights from a range of first class speakers via the medium of podcasts for the first time, complementing our ongoing series of Danske Advantage webinars.”
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The Danske Advantage podcasts are now available at https://danskebank.co.uk/business/advantage
