Rob had dreams of being a professional triathlete, but life had other plans. After training for five years in France, Rob returned to his home in the U.K., where he studied sports science and started working with a football (soccer) club as a personal trainer.
As his skills, ability, and experience grew, Rob began to travel the world, working with elite athletes in injury prevention. He realized that he was taking a cookie-cutter approach and soon began to wonder if there was another, better way. That’s when he encountered the teachings of Gray Institute®.
Applied Functional Science® Changes Rob’s Approach to the Body
Rob started picking up bits and pieces of Dr. Gary Gray’s teachings second hand. He liked what he heard; Applied Functional Science® (AFS) was a truth-based approach that he could immediately apply to his work with professional athletes. Determined to get to the source of information, he looked up Gray Institute, enrolled in the GIFT Fellowship, and flew to Adrian, Michigan, to meet with Gary, Doug, the team, and the rest of the GIFT Fellows.
It was a life-changing experience. Not only did Rob get the technical information he was looking for, but he also found an approach to treating people that resonated deeply with him.
“Gary gives you the ability to fish for yourself,” Rob says of Gray Institute. “Before, I didn’t understand that our bodies are like these rubber bands, just lengthening. But when you understand that, you can understand why something is tight, weak, or restricted. This is something you can also explain to the player, and they get it.”
What struck him most was when Gary would say in their sessions, “I don’t tell people what to do. I allow them to learn.” Instead of prescribing activities, the Gray Institute team encouraged GIFT Fellows to ask, “What if?”
This approach resonated with Rob and his work style, and he took it back to his professional footballers. Instead of telling them to move their foot, for example, out a little or in a little, he would ask, “What if you turned your foot out?” When his athletes found success with his suggestions, it created an inclusive culture of healing and wellness, rather than pedantic instruction that ignored each player’s unique individuality.
This approach made a difference for countless athletes. One footballer, who had been plagued by an ankle injury for almost his entire career, was able to play pain-free after Rob identified and addressed his dysfunction. Not only did he help save the player’s career and contracts, but Rob was also able to help heal an injury that no one else had been able to.
AFS Helps Rob Grow His Career
Rob took the things he learned at Gray Institute and helped athletes train and prevent injuries at the highest level of play. He worked with major football clubs across Europe, including Chelsea F.C. and F.C. Barcelona. Rob also served as a performance consultant for several Olympic athletes, military and special forces soldiers, and even the English National Ballet School.
Rob began a consulting career after retiring from his work with players and athletes in a hands-on capacity. He currently helps people understand the mind-body connection and offers them the tools they need to perform optimally, whether they’re a CEO, Olympic athlete, or someone interested in living the healthiest life possible.
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“If You’re Interested in Working With Elite Athletes, You Need Gray Institute”
Despite no longer working with athletes as a team strength and conditioning coach or for injury prevention, the truth-based mindset of AFS and the Gray Institute team stays with him. Rob says that a Gray Institute education is essential for anyone hoping to work with professional athletes.
“If you’re interested in working with elite athletes, you have to do it. If you’re interested in working with the body, you have to know what’s the truth and what’s actually happening,” he notes, “Get rid of the cookie cutter.”
“Gray Institute is the original; nothing else comes close,” Rob says. “If you’re interested in high performance, you have to get results. And Applied Functional Science gets that.”
Grow Your Career With Gray Institute
If you’re interested in working with high-performing athletes and want to know more about how Gray Institute can help you achieve your goals, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re happy to provide more information about the GIFT Fellowship, our other courses, and more. To learn more, simply reach out to us for a free consultation, or visit the GIFT Fellowship page to learn more.