OLYMPIC and Commonwealth diver Peter Waterfield from Southampton will be helping to host a series of ‘Mental Toughness’ business training seminars for the city’s business community this year (2007).

The events, which have been put together by international training company Adaptis Ltd., will take place all over the South East during spring 2007.

The venues for the training sessions in January, February and March will include the Institute of Directors in central London and The Quays in Peter’s home city of Southampton, where he also hopes to give attendees a poolside demonstration of his diving skills.

Adaptis Ltd’s Managing Director, Sara Burks explained: “Adaptis has become the agent and distributor for AQR Ltd.’s world-renowned Mental Toughness Questionnaire in the South East of the UK.

“This is a great tool to measure an individual’s Mental Toughness and their ability to continue to demonstrate peak performance even when the pressure is on. Mental Toughness is something that Peter, who is an Olympic silver and a Commonwealth Gold and silver medallist, has by the bucketful.”

The 25-year-old, who has recently notched up British diving records and is currently competing on the world diving circuit, looks set to represent Great Britain again at the next Olympics in Beijing in 2008.

Sara continued: “Peter has to exhibit a high degree of Mental Toughness when he dives off the highboard and hits the water at 35mph. It is critical for anyone who wants to succeed in a challenging job or, in Peter’s case, in an Olympic sport, and is interested in optimising performance. That’s why Peter is important to our training.”
Mental Toughness refers to an individual’s resilience and an inner drive to succeed - particularly when the going is challenging. It explains why it is possible to place two individuals into the same working environment and to see that one finds it difficult to cope with pressure and one thrives.

Peter explained: “Being positive and staying motivated is what drives me and got me originally to the Olympics in 2004 and on to the podium to collect the silver medal.”

Mental Toughness training and measurement was developed in conjunction with accredited sport psychologist, Dr Peter Clough, who is the Head of The University of Hull’s Department of Psychology, for AQR Ltd.

He explained: “My interest in Mental Toughness stems from working with professional athletes. The term is often used but little understood. We have operationalised the concept and have found that Mental Toughness can be used to predict performance in both sporting and occupational settings.”

Cultivating Mental Toughness can impact in two ways – effective stress management and peak performance attainment.

Sara added: “Understanding how we react to additional demands or changing circumstances can help ensure that we see these moments as opportunities for making an extra special effort or stepping up to meet the challenge.

“The concept of Mental Toughness helps us understand why people respond differently to some stressors and challenges – why some of us feel motivated and others feel stressed, which aspect of our work affect people in different ways and how we can develop Mental Toughness to improve our own resilience and performance.”

Adaptis Ltd. is holding taster and full Mental Toughness sessions with Peter Waterfield in the South East throughout January, February and March 2007, to find out more or to book a place on one of the courses, please call Jo Lee at Adaptis on 0845 200 2246 or visit www.adaptis.co.uk.

Sessions with Peter cost £150 + VAT per person and places will be limited to just 12 people each time, so please book early.

ENDS

For further media details regarding Peter Waterfield, please contact Porcupine PR on 01934 750880 or email Katie@porcupinepr.co.uk.