Reconceptualising Performance Lifestyle: A qualitative investigation from British Olympic and Paralympic sport World Class Programmes

In the UK, Performance Support Teams (PSTs) are integral to the World Class Programme which is a strategic initiative funded by UK Sport to deliver success at Olympic and Paralympic Games. PSTs are defined as teams that comprise individuals from diverse perspectives, skillsets, and areas of expertise who work collaboratively to optimise athlete(s) performance to achieve an overarching objective. PSTs in British Olympic and Paralympic sports typically include Performance Lifestyle (PL) Practitioners (PLPs) who support athletes to develop skills to cope with the demands of high performance (HP) sport and transferable competencies which augment sustained success beyond competition, while prioritising holistic wellbeing. Conversely, PL is underused by athletes and practitioners report a lack of disciplinary understanding and respect, and poor PST synergy. Underpinned by a relativist ontology and constructivist epistemology, eight WCP leaders participated in semi-structured interviews. Reflective thematic analysis constructed three main themes. ‘An imperfect world’ describes challenges, conflicts and environmental issues that influence how PSTs are structured and which contrast with WCP objectives. ‘Maintaining control’ explores how participants strive to meet program needs and associated tensions in aligning PST and PL provision. ‘A system problem’ represents concerns regarding cultural and climate issues which impact current delivery and represent cause for concern. Findings provide new perceptions from British WCP leaders developing a deeper understanding of PL provision and issues which impact disciplinary delivery and WCP objectives. Actionable implications to develop provision include giving WCPs increased control over and accountability for PL services alongside operationalising delivery within performance strategy.