Almost Pro

Sharing the stories behind the almost. 🎙️ Listen in and connect with others who’ve lived the highs, lows, and life after sport.

🎙️ Almost Pro – Sport Podcast
Hosted by Frances & Laura

Every week, we share the untold stories of athletes who came close to going pro, or reached the top of their sport without the “pro” salary to match - alongside the coaches, experts, and mentors who helped shape their journey. We focus on the raw, real, and unseen elements of what happens beyond the spotlight: resilience, identity, transitio

n, and the human side of sport. Driven by a shared passion to unpack the moments that shape who we become through sport, Almost Pro exists to remind us that success isn’t only measured by titles or contracts - it’s found in the stories, lessons, and growth along the way. Welcome to the Almost Pro community. Whether you're tuning in, sharing your story, or joining the conversation, we're so happy to have you here! The story isn’t in the title - it’s in the journey. 💙🧡

06/12/2026

🥇 Olympic Gold.

Forever etched in the history books and, for most athletes, the ultimate dream.

But what happens when you finally achieve it?

Olympic Gold Medalist Rosie Popa joins us on Almost Pro to share her incredible journey from growing up around Olympians, to missing the Rio Olympics, studying at Berkeley and Oxford, and ultimately standing atop the podium in Tokyo.

But in true Almost Pro fashion, this conversation goes far beyond rowing.

We explore ambition, perfectionism, external validation, fulfillment, identity, and what happens when achievement alone is no longer enough.

It’s one of the most captivating and honest conversations we’ve had on the podcast.

🎙️ Tune in now and hear Rosie’s remarkable journey to Olympic Gold and the lessons she learned along the way.

🌐 Learn more about Rosie: www.rosiepopa.com

06/10/2026

🥇 Olympic gold. Years of sacrifice. A dream achieved.

But what happens after you reach the goal you’ve spent your life chasing?

This week on Almost Pro, we had the privilege of sitting down with Australian Olympic gold medalist Rosie Popa for a powerful and honest conversation about what it takes to reach the top of sport and the realities behind elite performance.

From missing an Olympic team to winning Olympic gold in Tokyo, Rosie shares the highs, the setbacks, and the lessons that shaped her journey both on and off the water.

This is a conversation about success, growth, lemon farms 🍋🤔, and what happens after the dream comes true.

🎙️ Full episode coming soon.

06/05/2026

🌡️ What’s the hottest weather you’ve ever played sport in?

This week at the French Open, temperatures climbed into the low 30s°C, with several players openly discussing the impact of the heat.

One player even left the court in a wheelchair after suffering severe cramps following a five-set match.

It got us thinking…

🤔 Do sport heat policies need to change?

As temperatures continue to rise around the world, where is the line between challenging conditions and unsafe conditions?

Should sport simply adapt and push on as it always has?

Or is it time to rethink how we schedule, deliver, and protect athletes across all levels of sport?

🎙️ In this week’s AP Bites, we tackle one of the biggest conversations in sport right now.

👇 We’d love to hear your thoughts:
Do sport heat policies need to change?

🎧 Watch now - link in comments.

06/01/2026

🚀 Launching our NEW content series:

QUICK SPORTS TIPS IN UNDER 60 SECONDS ⏱️

We’ve heard so many incredible insights from our guests on Almost Pro that Laura has created yet another spreadsheet 🫣

It’s literally called “Guest Wisdom”.

So we thought we’d start sharing some of those insights with you too.

———

⚾️ Baseball is NOT a game of focus.

It’s a game of REFOCUS.

A simple but powerful insight from Andy Bass, Assistant Director of Mental Skills with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The athletes who perform at the highest level aren’t the ones who never lose focus.

They’re the ones who know how to get it back.

🎙️ Full conversation linked in the comments.

Follow for more Quick Sports Tips from across the world of sport.

05/29/2026

⚾️ Sometimes the thing that changes your path ends up revealing your purpose.

In this week’s episode of Almost Pro, we sit down with Andy Bass.

From professional baseball to mental performance leadership with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Andy’s journey is one of resilience, perspective and growth.

Throughout the conversation, Andy shares his experiences with:
• The yips
• Imposter syndrome
• Athlete identity
• Overthinking and self-trust
• The evolution of mental performance in sport

But more than anything, this is a conversation about what happens when the path you planned changes, and how those experiences can shape the person you become.

Thoughtful, insightful and incredibly human, Andy’s story offers valuable lessons for athletes, coaches, parents and sport industry professionals alike.

🎙️ Pro Baseball, The Yips, And Getting Out Of Your Own Head | Andy Bass

🎧 Now streaming on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.

MLB HighPerformance SportsPodcas

05/22/2026

Confidence is part of elite sport.

It has to be.

The pressure, scrutiny and expectations at the highest level demand belief in yourself.

But when does confidence cross into ego, entitlement, or superiority?

In this week’s AP Bites, we explore the fine line between confidence and arrogance in modern sport - and why swagger, dominance and confidence can sometimes become confused with leadership.

Because some of the greatest athletes ever carried confidence without making others feel small.

🎙️ EP.005 — Confidence vs Arrogance in Sport

Now streaming on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Link in comments.

AthleteIdentity

05/15/2026

Meet Malhar Atré - the latest member of the Almost Pro crew! 🇮🇳🇦🇺

A national level swimmer and multi-sport athlete from India whose journey through swimming, cycling, water polo and sport management eventually brought him to Australia in pursuit of something bigger than competition alone.

In this episode, Malhar shares:
🏊 The realities of pursuing elite sport in India
🚴 Transitioning across multiple sports
🏏 Working within the Indian sporting system and BCCI
🇦🇺 The stark contrast between sport in India and Australia
🎯 Why he’s now pursuing a future helping shape sport from the organisational side

A really fascinating conversation on ambition, opportunity and finding new ways to stay connected to the dream.

🎧 India To Australia: When Ambition Outgrows Environment is OUT NOW on YouTube, Spotify and all podcast platforms.

🔗Spotify episode link in comments

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums and mother figures behind the athletes, coaches, teams and sporting dreams.

Thank you for the sacrifices no one sees 🤍

05/08/2026

Can your beliefs actually cost you your career in sport?

In modern sport, athletes aren’t just being judged on performance anymore.

They’re being judged on:
• what they post
• what they support
• what they say publicly
• and sometimes even what they stay silent about

In this week’s AP Bites, we explore the growing pressure athletes face between authenticity, public expectation, organisational values and career security.

🎙️ AP Bites:
BIG conversations in sport.
Small enough to fit into your lunch break.

Listen now on www.almostpropodcast.com

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