ZEPP FM 005 - Acceptance and gratitude in sports with Daniel Kirk

ZEPP FM | Sport psychology for athletes, coaches & future sport psychologists

Daniel Kirk used to play Australian Ruled Football quite successfully – until he injured his ankle during a match, needing several surgeries that unfortunately left him with only 20% range of movement in his lower leg. Ultimately, he wasn’t able to return to his sport. However, he didn’t give up, fought his way back into sports and found a way to be an active athlete and a role model for other people instead.

I think it’s safe to say that many of us experience setbacks in life. Some setbacks might be small – some might be massive. I don’t have the right to judge if the setback Daniel had after he injured his ankle was a small or a huge setback – but it definitely made him struggle. But: he didn’t give up. He identified ways how to deal with the new circumstances, how to accept what has happened and how to use this situation to make the next major steps in his life – both, as a person and as an athlete.

If you have ever been in a situation where you didn’t know how to react and behave, how you could use it as a stepping stone for your future self, or where you thought: “I’m done – I can’t take it anymore” – then Daniel has some great thoughts and experiences to share with you. I’m grateful that Daniel took his time to answer all of my questions, that he shared how his first athletic career ended and his second career started, how he overcame his inner struggles and what it feels like to be a national team athlete today.

This episode is full of inspiration and great advices from an athlete who experienced a career ending injury, accepted his new identity, found a way to deal with his new situation, and started to represent his country at World Championships – and maybe in Tokio 2020, too.