Mark has over 20 years experience in the industry working with various sports, roles and organisations across the globe. This has included working in the UK with the English Institute of Sport, Nike Athletics and as Head of Medical Services for England Cricket. He has also worked in Australia with Victorian Institute of Sport, Australian Institute of Sport and as Head Physiotherapist for the Geelong Cats (AFL). This is a rare and inspiring interview with someone who has been able to transition from a clinician to an executive role now with the QAS where he is responsible for over 120 staff who provide high performance support to over 500 athletes in preparation for the upcoming LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games.

Highlights from the episode…

• After sustaining multiple knee injuries as a promising volleyball player this inspired him to pursue a career in high performance sport.
• In a chance encounter Mark worked with leading tendinopathy experts early in his career which little did he know was the catalysts to future opportunities.
• Having worked at the VIS, AIS and being offered a dream role with an AFL club, Mark chose to give it all up to backpack around the UK & he explains why!
• We discuss the value of gaining novel experiences outside of conventional clinical professional development that can benefit you as a clinician.
• After arriving in the UK with no job, how Mark secured a role working with the world's best track sprinters.
• Mark reflects on a story of how he provided critical advice to an elite athlete who consequently went on to sustain a devastating injury the next day, and what he learnt from that experience.
• Despite the advice and the ensuing consequence to the world’s fastest man, interestingly the team still wanted Mark to continue providing physiotherapy services for the team.
• We discuss how the value of a physiotherapist may be gauged by attributes that exist outside of one’s clinical skills.
• How Mark secured one of the most coveted roles as Head of Medical Services for the England Cricket Team.
• Mark returned back to Australia and secured a role with Geelong Cats (AFL).
• We discuss the fallacy in the industry that acquiring more degrees (Bachelors, Masters, PhD) is what gets you a job in sport…its not!
• 3 questions Mark asks himself when recruiting top talent.
• QAS is currently in search for various performance staff and Mark shares details around those opportunities.
• Why Mark pivoted away from a predominately athlete facing role to a consultant/executive role and highlights some considerations he had and what others may consider when pivoting.

Mark Young contact details:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-young-b2aaa520/
• QAS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qldacademysport/
• QAS website: https://www.qasport.qld.gov.au/
• QAS jobs: https://www.sportspeople.com.au/jobs/classification/medicine-science-psychology-physio-strength-conditioning-athlete-services-jobs?q=QAS

People mentioned:

• Michael Snelling: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5nCo1yeak0V4NLNN9itlXZ
• Peter Blanch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-blanch-50900b106/
• Jill Cook: https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/jlcook

Host: Luis Resa

Contact me on:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-resa-a975196b/
• Email: luis.resa@outlook.com

Thanks for listening and please leave a review.

If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode or would like to be part of an email list where I send out tools and tips other leaders in professional sport use to excell in their roles simply send me an email.