Why do some people rise to the top of their chosen field, whether it be in sport, the arts, business or science? That is the question that acclaimed author and journalist Matthew Syed will be answering at an exclusive event to be held at the Manx Museum on Monday 4th November. “How Champions are Made” has been organised by Isle of Man Sport, and is powered by Microgaming; doors open at 18.00 for an 18.30 start.
Matthew is a former British number one Table Tennis player, winning the Commonwealth title on three occasions and representing Great Britain in two Olympic Games. Since retiring from Table Tennis he has developed a career as a writer and broadcaster; he has a weekly column in The Times and provides features for BBC Sport. His 2010 book “Bounce – How Champions are Made” was described as “one of the most intelligent and thought-provoking books about sport ever written” and shortlisted for William Hill Sportsbook of the Year.
He has won numerous prizes for his writing, including Sports Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards and Sports Feature Writer of the Year at the Sports Journalist Association Awards.
Chris Quine, Sports Performance Co-ordinator for Isle of Man Sport Aid, comments: “We are very excited about Matthew’s visit. Many that read the book Bounce, found his ideas extremely thought provoking, challenging a lot of conventional thinking about why some people excel in different areas of life and others do not. He does have a really positive message that success is primarily down to effort and hard work rather than a genetic gift. This message is applicable to many areas of life and not just sport so the talk should have an appeal beyond sport.
Thank you so much to Microgaming for their support in making this event possible.”
Roger Raatgever, CEO of Microgaming, comments: “Microgaming is a company with sports running through its veins. No matter the sport whether it’s running, cycling, swimming or table tennis we honestly believe that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind. This presentation from Matthew Syed seems a natural fit with our ethos at Microgaming and so we are delighted to be involved.”
Due to popular demand, the event is over-subscribed however for more information or events in the future please email iomsport@gov.im.
