The-Negotiation-Society-Magazine-The-Change-Issue

Marc Stcherbina
“I was just praying I would be able to walk again.”
Marc Stcherbina is an
international rugby player from
Sydney, Australia. He turned
professional at 20 and enjoyed
a stellar career representing his
country in both 7s and 15s and
for several clubs across the world
including the NSW Waratahs,
Biarritz, Northampton Saints,
Cardiff Blues and Newport Gwent Dragons.
On December 6th, 2008 Marc was playing
for Newport in the European Cup against
Toulouse. During the game he made a
tackle which resulted in three players falling
awkwardly on top of him. It was very serious:
he had broken the C4 and C5 vertebrae in his
neck and was paralyzed from the neck down for
25 minutes. Waking up in hospital following
emergency surgery on his 32nd birthday, Marc
was told by the doctor that he had narrowly
escaped not just quadriplegia, but death.
Following his subsequent retirement from
the sport, Marc took time to reflect and consider
what he wanted to do next. The injury became
the catalyst that changed his entire outlook;
he was now chasing something more profound
than his next payslip. “I wanted a deeper sense
of fulfillment. I had been given a second chance
at life, I wanted to be happy, and I wanted to do
something I was passionate about.”
Marc believes this more holistic way of
thinking about a career is often lacking in
professional athletes, because “their focus is
almost always short term – winning the next
game or the next event.” Perhaps this helps
to explain why so many athletes struggle with
transition following a career in sport as, “you
are never thinking too far ahead.” Looking
back, Marc wishes he had started planning
for his transition sooner, and invested time in
another interest, or pursued other goals, outside
of sport. “It would have made me a better, more
rounded person - and a better rugby player.”
Marc is now MD of Winning EQ,
a company that helps sports professionals
and businesspeople alike. Marc explains its
philosophy as, “Better people equals better
performance: in sports, business and life.”
Laura Lee
“I lost everything.”
Three decades ago, ten-year-old Laura Lee
sat with her proud parents, as scout after scout
visited their home. With Dad a huge Arsenal
soccer club fan, it was inevitable which academy
Laura would sign for. She went on to become
one of the youngest members of the incredibly
successful Arsenal Ladies team in the early
‘90s, winning the FA Women’s League, League
Cup and FA Cup, all while studying for her
A-Levels.
Laura grew up in East London as part
of an Irish Catholic family and attended a
convent school. When she came out as gay at
18, the fallout was traumatic. As Laura recalls,
“Everything changed. I lost everything.” Laura
was forced to leave the family home, and with
only a small income from soccer, she had no
choice but to stop playing to support herself
financially. She was left to fend for herself.
We often assume that the career of a
professional sportsperson ends due to injury, or
age, but as with Laura and others, that is not
necessarily the case. Leaving Arsenal was
not Laura’s choice; it was forced upon her.
Yet, even at such a young age, the skills
she had developed in her early years in
sport have played a major part in her
commercial successes.
Laura describes walking into her first
interview with a logistics firm and simply
saying, “I just need a job, I'll do anything!”
But while she acknowledges that playing
for Arsenal opened doors, with no
experience, it was more her drive,
enthusiasm, and ambition that convinced her
new employers to take a chance.
Her advice to others? “Think of your
transition from sport to work as the longest
90 minutes you have ever played. Things will
go wrong. Do not panic. Instead, reflect, adjust,
back yourself and go again.” Laura now works
for a market-leading IT outsource company,
specializing in sales, and is also the captain of
Tottenham LGBT.
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