One word has changed the whole British team – belief. We believe we can win; we believe we can get world records. If you have belief, you can build everything around that, and it comes from the people you hang around with…

 

Those were the words of swimmer Adam Peaty, after he and his teammates won Gold and set a new world record in the mixed relay at the Japan 2020 Olympic Games.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games never fail to inspire. This summer, we have been regaled with stories of unbelievable talent and skill, tales of overcoming injury and adversity, and downright hard work which have resulted in a huge medal haul across a wide range of sports.

 

But how often do we take these lessons and apply them to ourselves?

As Adam Peaty reminds us, in business, as in sport, who you surround yourself with makes a difference.

Nothing beats getting the right support whilst putting yourself in the right environment to reflect, learn and plan. Being part of a positive community helps you to achieve what you want and dramatically accelerates your success. By sharing both our achievements and our failures, we are all able to learn from the mistakes of others and avoid any similar pitfalls.

Joining a network of like-minded organisations helps keep your head in the right place too. There’s an improved sense of belief from everyone. Belief that what we are doing is worthwhile, belief that it’s possible for all of us to be successful, and belief that our actions really can make a difference.

Aspire Active Partnerships has been around for five years now. We’re a community of like-minded, ambitious and progressive business owners who collaborate to be more successful and engage more children in physical activity. Currently we have 39 member organisations and our webinars, workshops, events, ‘huddles’, 1-to-1s and peer support groups mean we are always talking and hearing about each other’s organisations. The impact has been, and still is, amazing.

 

We welcome new partners since everyone can bring something unique to the table, and, just like the amazing Team GB athletes, our members are supported, feel ready to improve on the great work they already do, and believe they can be winners.

 

Remember, who you hang around with matters.