Sponsored by
Ivor Lloyd: Meet Wakefield’s own motivational coach
Ivor Lloyd.
Motivational coach Ivor Lloyd has overcome a number of personal struggles and now hopes to help others achieve their full potential.
His mental and physical coaching programme has already helped transform one student, Andrew Rivett, from an average middle-distance runner into a three-time world record endurance champion.
Ivor, 46, is divorced with three children, Oliver, 15, Isabel, eight, and Phoebe, six. Interview by Grant Woodward.
“If there is one problem that I’ve found holds people back it’s a lack of self-belief, that and feeling sorry for themselves.
There’s an Indian proverb along the lines of, ‘I had no shoes and complained. Until I met a man with no feet’.
“That basically sums it up. We all feel sorry for ourselves at times but there is always someone worse off who would be only too willing to swap places with us.
The thing I’m most proud of is the book I’ve just written.
I’ve poured my heart and soul into it and have tried to be as candid as possible. Not just about my triumphs in life but my failures too.
The way I look at it is that you have to accept 100 per cent responsibility for yourself and your actions. At the end of the day you are the one making the decisions.
Don’t look at bad decisions as mistakes, think of them as lessons.
I’ve used the methods I write about to overcome a teenage cancer scare, being told I was infertile, wrongful imprisonment, two divorces, bankruptcy and ultimately depression and a full mental breakdown.
But my greatest triumph is the fact that I’ve coached Andrew Rivett to three world endurance records.
He currently holds the record for running from John O’ Groats to Land’s End in just over nine days. That’s the equivalent of three-and-a-half marathons every day for nine days on the trot.
“The best and worst thing about Yorkshire is the honesty of the people here.
But I’d always rather someone tell me the truth than sugar-coat it.
At times though that can be both a blessing and a curse.
“My first job was as an indentured apprentice joiner.
I had left school at 16 without any qualifications and it was seen as the thing to do back then to get a trade behind you.
I’m glad I did it but I never really enjoyed it because I love working with people.
The one thing I couldn’t live without is chocolate. That and my children.
I eat chocolate every day and it can be any kind, I’m not biased.
I may be able to coach people to run around the world but I couldn’t help anyone to give up chocolate.
My first kiss was with a girl called Elizabeth at primary school.
“We were both six and kissed all the time. She had lovely red hair and I still remember it as if it were yesterday.
To relax I like to go walking and I try to cover four to six miles every day.
I find it’s a great way to be at one with yourself and I do all my serious creative thinking when I’m out walking.
I prefer to walk on my own and no matter what sort of mood I’m in it really relaxes me.
Something that might surprise people about me is that I’m a gentle giant.
“I’m six-foot-two but I love helping other people and that’s really why I do what I do.
Now I want to pass on my experience and try to help others through that.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is to never give up. It’s as simple as that.
When I was at my lowest and suicidal thoughts kept running through my mind I thought of my grandad.
His name was Herbert Castelow and he was an SAS war hero who was in the very first regiment of the SAS during the Second World War.
I always remember when I was small and had been knocked off my bike or fallen over and grazed my knees he would say, ‘Dust yourself off and never give up.’
My philisophy on life is that I believe we’re all souls who are here to experience different things.
I believe life is like a school and we’re here to learn. Some of us have easy lessons and some of us have hard lessons.
I believe in an afterlife and that we are spiritual beings. Our life on earth is just another chapter in the book.
“The person I would most like to meet is Muhammad Ali, who is my hero in every sense. He’s a great man – not just because of what he did from a sporting point of view but the way he stood up for his own rights.
I have to admit I would burst into tears if he walked into the room.
I just find him an inspirational figure. Even more so now, given what he has to overcome and the fact he always has a smile on his face.
The last time I cried was when I wrote my book because it was a very emotional and cathartic experience.
I put a lot of demons to bed when I put pen to paper.
I found it tough but I feel better for having done it.”
* Never Give Up: How To Overcome Anything by Ivor Lloyd is out now.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 1 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
lauralulu3
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 05:01 PMExcellent book enjoyed reading it well done Ivor!
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.