WFYC Podcast with Jake Thiel; Pacific Pride Players Graduating; Westshore Secondary 7s in March; Thunder Celebration at Mungo Martin House in March
A few local rugby news stories today, a podcast with Jake Thiel showed up on YouTube on the What Fills Your Cup channel. The link is below and a brief Ai summary of the podcast. Also the Pacific Pride announced the players graduating from the program over the winter break. Westshore Secondary 7s announced their tournament for March 14th and the Thunder Indigenous Rugby program announced their celebration at the Mungo Martin House for March 23rd where they’ll award the Bear trophy to the Pacific Pride for winning the Coastal Cup and announce their youth team for the NZ tour, plus announce the winners of the Phil Mack Indigenous player of the year award.
What Fills Your Cup Podcast with Jake Thiel
This YouTube features a podcast interview with Jake Thiel, a professional rugby player. The conversation covers Thiel’s upbringing with a twin brother, his experiences navigating the pressures of professional sports and social media, and his struggles with and strategies for managing mental health challenges, including depression and anxiety. He also discusses his Olympic experience and the importance of self-discovery and pursuing personal growth. Finally, Thiel shares advice on overcoming obstacles and embracing new challenges.
Sample Ai Excerpt
What shaped Jake Thiel’s identity and mental fortitude?
Jake Thiel’s identity and mental fortitude have been shaped by a variety of factors, including his upbringing, family influences, experiences with sports, and personal struggles.
Key factors that have shaped Jake’s identity and mental fortitude include:
Family and Upbringing: Jake’s upbringing involved a lot of travel, moving from Canada to France, then England, Wales, and back to Canada. His parents were both rugby players, and he and his twin brother were always around the sport. While this created a family ecosystem around rugby, it also led to some internal pressure for Jake to excel at the sport. His family dynamic also included the experience of his parents’ divorce, which led to him participating in a support group and individual counselling.
Twin Brother: Having a twin brother, Josh, who was a “built-in best friend”, was a significant aspect of his upbringing. Although they were close, they were also quite different people, which helped Jake avoid direct competition with Josh. Jake notes that he would rather see his brothers succeed than himself.
Sports: Rugby has been a big part of Jake’s life, but he did not fully love it until he was around 17 or 18. He initially felt internal pressure to succeed in rugby because of his parents’ accomplishments in the sport. Despite the pressures, Jake’s love for the sport grew. His experiences with team sports, especially rugby, have been a tool for his mental health, offering an escape and a way to combat depression and anxiety. The structure of his life revolved around training and competition, until an injury sidelined him.
Mental Health: Jake has openly discussed his struggles with anxiety and depression. He notes that he was an angry child and received counselling through a divorce support group and independently, which helped him develop self-awareness and coping mechanisms. He uses tools such as staying active, connecting with friends, and being aware of his triggers to manage his mental health.
Social Media: Jake uses social media to connect with fans and be creative, however, the external pressures and criticism associated with social media have been a challenge. He makes a conscious effort to separate his social media persona from his role as a rugby player, prioritizing his training and performance over social media content. He also uses it as a way to set himself up for financial support outside of rugby.
Self-Discovery: Jake has had to navigate his identity as an individual outside of his sport and family influences. He has worked on discovering his own values and interests apart from what others expect of him. This process included separating himself from the notion that he had to be good at rugby because his parents were.
Westshore Secondary 7s – March 14th
Thunder Celebration at Mungo Martin House on March 23rd
Pacific Pride Players Graduating