The University of Surrey is proud to host this Black History Month event as part of the Surrey Black Scholars Programme. The Surrey Black Scholars Speakers initiative is a series of lectures and discussions taking place in-person on the University of Surrey campus.

Stress and Burnout in High-Performance Environments

Sport is stressful. The very nature of high-performance sport means that performers of all kinds - athletes, coaches, officials – are all expected to perform to the best of their ability under often immense pressure. In this lecture, Dr Pete Olusoga will explore how performers experience stress, how stress can lead to psychological burnout, and what we can learn from high-performance environments about being better at prioritising our own well-being.

Dr Peter Olusoga is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University. His PhD thesis, completed in 2012, focused on stress and coping in elite sports coaching, and his current research focuses on coach burnout, and well-being in high-performance sports environments. In addition to research, Dr Olusoga is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS), an experienced consultant, and host of the award-winning sport and performance psychology podcast, Eighty Percent Mental.

Dr Nicholas de Cruz is a Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Surrey. He studied sport science at Loughborough University where he investigated the motivations of elite Singaporean athletes. After an MSc in Psychology at the University of Westminster, and an MSc in Psychology of Sport and Exercise at Loughborough University, Nicholas completed his doctoral studies at the University of Birmingham under Professor Brett Smith. His dissertation was published by Routledge as a monograph in 2022. He coached youth athletes for the Singapore Sailing Federation. He was assistant coach for Singapore’s Paralympic Sailing Team during London 2012 and coached an Australian sailor for the Youth Olympic Games 2010.

The OfS and UKRI-funded project is designed to provide Black British students with the resources, support and environment necessary to achieve excellence and pursue rich and rewarding careers after graduation. Through embedding sustainable initiatives that build a pipeline for Black students, enhance experience and provide a career boost, we will improve our inclusive culture and race equity at Surrey to benefit our whole postgraduate community.

This lecture and discussion will take place inside the Austin Pearce building.

Event details

Day: Tuesday 31st October 2023

Time: 16:00 – 17:30

Venue: 28 AP O2 Seminar Room 3 - Austin Pearce, Stag Hill campus, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH (New Venue)

Timings

16:00 - Dr Pete Olusoga’s Lecture

16:45 – Panel discussion hosted by Dr Nicholas de Cruz

17:15 – Q&A with Audience

Dr Peter Olusoga - Stress and Burnout in High-Performance Environments