Dan Powell knows what it’s like to be facing the end of your career as an elite athlete.
After finishing seventh at the London 2012 Paralympics aged 21, he walked away from judo disillusioned and feeling like he had sold his youth to the sport.
It proved to be a temporary hiatus and 13 years later Dan is a Paralympic, World and European silver medallist.
He’s also the founder and owner of GNR8 Academy, a community-focused gym based in Leicester which he runs alongside his sporting career.
It was during his time away from judo that Dan realised he needed to invest in his future to create what he describes as a ‘safety net’ for when he eventually retires from being an elite athlete.
“After competing in London 2012 as a youngster I had to walk away from the sport because mentally I was really struggling,” he tells the BEAA.
“I moved back to Liverpool for a few years and ended up competing in athletics and moving to Loughborough.
“During that time, I decided I wasn’t going back onto a full-time programme until I had created a safety net around me because I had found the drop from the hype of London 2012 a bit much.
“I knew I had to create something that was going to be sustainable, so if I walked away from the sport again then I would have something to fall back on, which is why I put so much time into creating something I was passionate about during those years.”
GNR8 is the product of that passion.
After years of working as a personal trainer, Dan launched the gym in 2020 with the aim of breaking down the barriers that prevent people from maintaining their fitness and wellbeing.
It now boasts more than 200 members, with the three-time Paralympian employing a team of six to run classes for people from the age of five upwards. Alongside this, Dan delivers outreach programmes with local special educational needs schools and mentors young people in the area.
It’s a full-time job, alongside his other full-time job as World Class Programme-funded athlete, which begs the question, how does he fit it all in?
“It is exhausting at times, but I’ve got an incredible support network,” Dan explains.
“It is about building the right team around you who can be valuable in those times of need.
“I’ve got an amazing partner who reminds me when judo is important and takes a big load off my plate and my coach at British Judo manages me so well.
“When there are times of heightened stress, be that on or off the mats, he makes sure we get things sorted. When my son was first born, I remember feeling stressed because I was trying to get the business off the ground, look after a baby and be the best version of myself on the mat.
“My coach spoke about the need to wear different hats, so when I’m in the dojo I’ve got my judo hat on and when I’m at home I’ve got my dad hat on and nothing affects that.
“It sounds really small, but it was a really helpful mentality shift.”
Having medalled in Paris, Dan has his sights firmly set on LA, but, at the age of 33 and with three Olympic cycles behind him, he knows judo won’t last forever.
However, there is comfort in knowing that he has already built a business that will serve him long after he steps away from elite sport.
“Running a business alongside judo has only benefited me,” he adds.
“As athletes we do have down time and it’s important to build yourself as a person outside of sport as well.
“I’ve been there [thinking about life after sport] and now for me, creating and building something outside of sport is nowhere near as daunting.
“I’m optimistic [about going to LA] but if judo and sport isn’t going to be for me anymore, be it tomorrow or in three years, I will be alright because I’ve got a lot of energy to plough into the gym to make it bigger and better.”
