Is there a limit to physical power?
In his heyday as a top class athlete Kriss Akabusi broke many athletic records, wining medal after medal at numerous games. However things have changed since then. Year after year records are...
View ArticleDiet and hydration
Eating your way to the top in sport is not just possible – it's vital. But you need to get your intake balanced and correct. Our Olympic hopefuls and OU experts explain how. Caroline Heaney. Caroline...
View ArticleStarting and keeping on
The pursuit of excellence makes often enormous demands. What leads people to take up sports – and why do they keep going through the rough patches? Ashley McKenzie. A gifted judoka, Ashley first got...
View ArticleSupport networks for sportspeople
You might be on your own as you run for gold, or face an opponent across a net – but success in sport owes a lot to the role of friends and family – especially, as you'll hear, when starting out. This...
View ArticleFitness and training
Being good at a sport is only the start. To be the best, you have to put in the hours of training to achieve the peak of fitness. Caroline Heaney. Caroline Heaney is a full-time lecturer in Sport and...
View ArticleMental fitness
Our athletes explain how they use their minds as much as their bodies to prepare for competition. Caroline Heaney. Caroline Heaney is a full-time lecturer in Sport and Fitness at The Open University....
View ArticleOlympic selection: who goes, who decides?
Choosing the right athletes to send to the Olympics is a difficult and controversial process. Who goes, who decides? Ben Oakley. Ben Oakley led the development of sport and fitness at The Open...
View ArticleSport science
How do athletes achieve their best? Discover the pivotal role of sport science Simon Rea. Simon Rea is an academic on the Award in Sport, Fitness and Health at The Open University. First published on...
View ArticleGetting to the podium: A family affair
Behind every child's sporting success, there's a complex network of support back home.Ben Oakley considers family support to athletes in their school age years and the impact on such families. Ben...
View ArticleFrom PE to podium
What is the typical journey a talented youngster takes to reach the medal podium at senior level? Ben Oakley, a former Olympic coach himself, reviews what is known about the typical pathways to...
View ArticleCoach, confidant, carer
Olympic coaches have a vital role in nurturing athletes: coach, confidant, carer Caroline Heaney. Caroline Heaney is a full-time lecturer in Sport and Fitness at The Open University. First published on...
View ArticleAre we any good at sport? 2008
Ben Oakley askes whether as a nation we’re any good at sport? Ben Oakley. Ben Oakley led the development of sport and fitness at The Open University and is now Head of Department of Childhood, Youth...
View ArticleSport and genetic enhancement
How far should athletes go in pursuit of the podium? Can you build yourself up while protecting your ethics? Professor Michael J. Sandel. Michael J. Sandel is a contemporary political philosopher and...
View ArticleOlympic Dreams: When the going gets tough
Olympic atheletes explain how they cope with injury and other setbacks - and the OU's Caroline Heaney explores their approach. Tom Daley. Tom is a diver, focusing mainly on the 10 metre platform...
View ArticleOlympic Dreams: About the athletes
The Olympic Dreams videos explore how a selection of the athletes featured in the 2010 series mentally prepare for competitions and deal with adversity. Below is more information on the athletes we...
View ArticleKeep on running
Oscar Pretorius is nicknamed "the blade runner". But where does assistance for disability end and cheating begin? Professor Kath Woodward. Kath Woodward is an Emeritus Professor and was Professor of...
View ArticleOlympic Dreams: Getting into the zone
Tom Daley, Jessia Ennis and other athletes explain their mental preparation and pre-performance routines in this video - and how they help achieve succes. Tom Daley. Tom is a diver, focusing mainly on...
View ArticleBecoming a superhero: what are the limits of human performance?
Would an average person be able to train hard enough to become the next Batman, Superman or Wonder Woman? Candice Lingam-Willgoss. Candice joined the Sport and Fitness team at the end of 2013 having...
View ArticleThe refugees hoping to make a splash at Rio 2016
This year's Olympics includes a team of Refugees for the first time. Hear some of the athlete's stories - and find out why their participation is central to the Olympic ideal. Christopher Zumski Finke....
View ArticleOpenLearn Live: 15th August 2016
The shoe that tries hard to not be a shoe; fighting malaria; and Devon wrecks. Free learning from across the day. The OpenLearn team. The OpenLearn content & channel team: bringing you the finest...
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