Bernie Hollywood OBE on Love Rowing and charity adventures

01/13/21 • 70 min

Ep 8. Most of us have done a little bit of charity fundraising at some point in our lives - we've maybe run a 5K or given up alcohol for a few weeks or completed an erg challenge. Most of us haven't raised £42 million for charity. My guest this week, the amazing Bernie Hollywood OBE, has done just that alongside an incredibly demanding career as a banker. This extraordinarily driven man has run 150 marathons, trekked to both Poles, crossed deserts, and is now planning to row the Atlantic on his own.
Equally importantly, he's just taken up the position of Foundation Manager of Love Rowing - British Rowing's new charitable foundation aimed at increasing diversity and inclusivity in rowing. I was so delighted when Bernie agreed to come on the show as his values align so much with those of Girl on the River, and I was keen to quiz him about exactly what Love Rowing is all about.
In this episode we discuss:

What motivates Bernie to be such a prolific fundraiser and how it all began
Why he always refers to his charity challenges as "adventures"
Bernie's ethos
Love Rowing - its aims and objectives and how it will work
How rowing makes a difference in young people's lives
Bernie's next adventure - the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic challenge
The innovations Bernie is introducing to his Atlantic row
Bernie's ambitions to raise £1 million for Love Rowing and the Samaritans

You can find out all about Love Rowing on its website, here, and on Twitter at @LoveRowing_BRCF. All enquiries about Love Rowing and Bernie's fundraising should be directed to [email protected].
Bernie's website is here.
The British Rowing Inclusive Club Guide that Bernie refers to can be downloaded here.
The artist who is designing the artwork covering Bernie's boat for the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge is Justin Eagleton.
The number for the Samaritans is 116 123 (it's free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year). They also have a self-help app where you can keep track of how you're feeling, and get recommendations for things you can do to help yourself cope, feel better and stay safe in a crisis.

What motivates Bernie to be such a prolific fundraiser and how it all began
Why he always refers to his charity challenges as "adventures"
Bernie's ethos
Love Rowing - its aims and objectives and how it will work
How rowing makes a difference in young people's lives
Bernie's next adventure - the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic challenge
The innovations Bernie is introducing to his Atlantic row
Bernie's ambitions to raise £1 million for Love Rowing and the Samaritans

Previous Episode

Frances Houghton MBE on being a five-time Olympian and other life lessons

Ep 7. I wanted to start the year with a really special guest, and my goodness, that's what I've got for you! Frances Houghton MBE has represented GB in rowing at five Olympic Games. She has won three Olympic silver medals, four World Championship gold medals and one European title. She's also an incredibly thoughtful person who's collected an amazing amount of wisdom over the years and has distilled it into a brilliant book called Learnings from Five Olympic Games, which you can buy here.
Frances was an absolutely brilliant guest and, in common with other Olympians I've interviewed, incredibly and not remotely starry. We talk about:

Her life in Cornwall - walking, sea swimming, gig rowing and surfing
Whether she has any unfinished business, looking back at her rowing career
The change in mindset she adopted after Beijing and how it enabled her to return to rowing
Togetherness and the Rio 8+ (plus the challenges they went through when the crew was dismantled and seat-raced)
Honesty and cohesion in crews
The Olympic training regime
Periods and hormones
Whether she was able to retain the joy of rowing despite the tough regime
Frances' relationship with the ergo and her tips for erg tests
Whether you ever actually enjoy a race
What it feels like on the start (and the weird thing about vinegar)
Olympic Village life and the differences between the five Games
The post-Olympic crash
Learning not to be the expert in the crew
Sports psychology
Cooking and training as a chef and the Ballymaloe Cookery School.

If you're enjoying the podcast, I'd love it if you'd share it with just one person who might enjoy it. And if you could see your way to rating / reviewing it that would be amazing - it all helps to get the word out. If you're on Apple you can leave a review here.
Thanks again for being part of Girl on the River. I'd love to hear from you - let me know what you think of the podcast, who you'd like to see guesting on it, what you'd like me to talk about. You can find my blog at Girl on the River and do come and say hi on social media at @girlontheriver on all channels.

Next Episode

Chris Shambrook on sport psychology and working with the GB Rowing Team

Ep 9. The more I talk to elite rowers and coxes, the more I understand the importance that sport psychology plays in creating the best performances both on and off the river. That's why I was so delighted when expert in sport psychology, Chris Shambrook, agreed to come on the podcast. We had a fascinating chat, covering:

Chris's path into sport psychology
His experiences of working with the GB Rowing Squad
Whether rowers have unique psychological needs compared with other sports
How to deal with a personality clash between athletes or between coach and athlete
The psychology of the Olympic cycle
Developing a challenge mindset instead of a threat mindset
Learning to observe your thoughts and emotions
Chris's work with Planet K2

Chris went on to answer listeners' questions about the following:

Mind over body on the erg
Coping with the fear of the erg test - the gold-silver-bronze approach
Not finishing an erg test
The connection with mindful meditation and using your fear of failure
Imposter syndrome and perfectionism
Helping adult learn-to-rowers
Dealing with the ageing process as an athlete
Supporting young rowers with varying growth rates
What resources are available if you don't have a sports psychologist to hand
How to cope with the uncertainties of the pandemic as an athlete

The books Chris refers to in the interview are as follows:
Chris's own book, The Mental Game Plan, which can be found here.
The Positive Power of Negative Thinking by Julie Norem

Learnings from Five Olympic Games by Frances Houghton

Mind Games by Annie Vernon

The Long Win by Cath Bishop
The blog posts on the Adidas site Chris talks about are here:
https://www.gameplan-a.com/2020/09/how-to-stay-on-track-when-the-finish-line-is-out-of-sight/

https://www.gameplan-a.com/2020/04/when-goalposts-shift-adapting-to-the-changing-world-around-us/

https://www.gameplan-a.com/2021/01/2021-an-unmissable-opportunity-to-live-the-new/

Other resources referred to by Chris :
The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences

British Psychological Society
Performance Room including covid self-care resources https://www.theperformanceroom.co.uk/category/cov
Believe PerformChris's business, Planet 2KThis week I released a fun, behind the scenes video to Patreon subscribers. To get perks like this plus early access to episode, click on "support the show"!

Girl on the River - Bernie Hollywood OBE on Love Rowing and charity adventures

Transcript

Patricia Carswell00:00:07.769

This is Girl on the River, the Podcast. Whole crew, come forward to row.

Patricia Carswell00:00:12.660

Hello, and welcome back to Girl on the River, the Podcast, for episode eight. Before I introduce you to this week's guest, I'd like to say particular thanks to everyone who has shared, rated and reviewed the podcast this week and to everyone who's commented on social media as well. I've had so many lovely