Athlete and Colleague Testimonials.

I had the great pleasure of working with Paul at Northumbria University. As a colleague, Paul always provided positive challenge to our evolving departmental practices. Often driving innovation through adaptation of current literature, and his own experience. As a coach, Paul is athlete-centred and science based. He developed effective relationships with the athletes he coached so they found his coaching both enjoyable, challenging and goals focussed. He conducted in-depth training needs analysis which included building relationships with the sport-specific coaches and other support service practitioners.

— Nick Ridgeon, England athletics event lead for throws.

Over the past four years, Paul has played a fundamental role in my development as an athlete. His attention to detail and passion has helped me to develop both my physical and mental abilities, to enable me to performance and achieve at the highest level. Without him, I do not believe I would have reached the level I am currently at, and with the Olympics coming up in 2020, I trust in Paul to play a huge part in helping me achieve my goals, and aim to qualify for, and compete at, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. I look forward to continuing to work with Paul for years to come, and seeing him unearth my physical potential.

— Charlie myers, pole vault athlete and Olympic hopeful.

Having suffered 3 ACL reconstructions throughout my career, it was paramount that I worked with a S&C coach who was meticulous when it came to detail. Paul was just that and more. His positive and refreshing attitude helped me to regain optimum fitness after a season of playing limited competitive football. Along with his experience of working with top athletes comes his understanding of what it takes to be successful at the highest level. These small details make the difference. His ability to adapt and be flexible in constantly changing environments is testament to his patient and kind nature. One of the best I have ever worked with!

— Claire rafferty, former England international footballer.

I have worked with Paul for around 5 years and can say with confidence that Paul has been one of the biggest influences for me not only as an athlete, but also as a physiotherapist as I have been able to learn so much from him. Since working with Paul, I have made significant gains in strength, speed and endurance, which has been of huge benefit to me and has undoubtedly made me a better player. Paul is always on the edge of his field, and is constantly bringing new ideas and training methods to the forefront. I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Paul not only to amateur or professional athletes, but also to general members of the public with personal fitness goals.

Niamh mclaughlin, physiotherapist and former ireland international footballer.

The outcome of working with Paul for three years, and applying all of his knowledge and understanding into my S&C needs allowed me to fulfil my dream of becoming a professional footballer. It is not only his coaching, but the environment that he creates that allows athletes to thrive. It is not only professional and well structured, but an enjoyable, fun, and engaging way of training and learning.

— luke hannant, professional efl footballer.

Since we started working together in 2016, Paul’s work and advice has enabled me to achieve many goals; the highlight being competing in the 2019 Women’s World Cup for England. Paul’s ability to understand an athletes needs and create appropriate, stimulating sessions is why he is, and remains, paramount to my career. His hard working nature means that everything is meticulously planned; whilst he is also able to make all tasks understandable, whilst educating along the way. I owe so much to Paul and I’m grateful to work with him. Long may it continue!

— Lucy staniforth, professional footballer and current england lioness.

Paul took me on when I was very new to Rowing. As my first S&C coach, he tailored a programme to suit my needs and my goals. His knowledge and attention to detail has laid the foundation of athletic robustness and training IQ to allow me to competitively train as a full-time athlete and push for selection for the GB Senior Rowing Team. Since joining Leander, Paul has continued to support me as a Nutritionist - I have found his support easy to implement, and I look forward to Paul continuing to support my development for years to come.

— ryan todhunter, full time rowing athlete at leander rc.

Paul is a top class S&C and Sport Science professional who I have been lucky to work with and know for many years. His broad knowledge base and ability to combine all aspects of athletic performance allows him to create and tailor sports performance programmes unique to each individual he works with. His curiosity in human health and performance will make sure no stone is left unturned in any athlete’s physical preparation and I would not hesitate to recommend him and his services.

— Jack dent, strength & Conditioning coach at sports surgery clinic - santry..

I have been working with Paul both as a Strength & Conditioning Coach, and as a Nutritionist. In regards to my strength training, I have been able to improve my strength, and stability, without gaining additional weight, which is a huge win for a fighter like me. With being an MMA athlete, it is imperative that my diet is monitored and tailored in order for me to be fueled appropriately for my various training sessions throughout the day, and across the week. As a competing athlete, I also need to be able to cut weight effectively, without causing serious harm to my body - this is where Paul has been a tremendous help to me during fight camp. He has a wealth of knowledge in performance nutrition and sport specific strength training, which allowed me to reduce my weight without hindering my performance or my health.

I look forward to continuing my partnership with PRPerformance and growing my overall sport science IQ, as he is dedicated to improving his athletes health, strength, mobility, nutrition, and welfare.

— RHI RHI Hudson, cage warriors academy atomweight champion (MMA)

Paul and I first crossed paths around 3 years ago amidst a time where I was considering early retirement from the game at the completion of the season. Working with Paul in that year injected a new lease of life and desire in me with regards to my capabilities as an athlete, and incidentally I found myself at a level of conditioning I had previously not been able to achieve.

He has a genuine passion to push you beyond your limits as an individual using proven, and most importantly, achievable methods that are specific to your profile and goals as an individual. Paul is undoubtedly the best I have worked with an is a direct influence on my decision and ability to continue playing at the top level well into my twilight years.

I wish I’d met him ten years ago!

— Victoria williams, professional footballer at brighton & hove Albion.

I had the pleasure of working with Paul throughout my 4 years as a scholarship athlete at Northumbria University. Paul’s understanding of high level sports performance and the underpinning science, together with his meticulous attention to detail and athlete centred approach, allow his tailored programmes to be challenging and goal orientated, whilst also being extremely enjoyable.

I attribute my best ever physical condition and performance levels to my time working with Paul, and I have recently resumed working with him on a remote basis, looking to rediscover that condition.

— ROBBIE SPENCE, Non-league footballer for hebburn town fc.

I have known and worked with Paul for over 5 years now and can testify to his exemplary professionalism and expertise in all areas of physical performance enhancement. Paul’s knowledge and coaching experience span a wide variety of sports and he has worked with the best in football, track and field, rowing and combat sports applying a bespoke and scientific approach to each. An approachable and easy to talk to character Paul quickly understands the culture of the sport he is working with. By changing his coaching style, use of coaching cues and communication strategies he ensures everyone understands the goals of the block, session or exercise and the athlete can attack training knowing exactly what they are getting out of their session. I continue to liaise with Paul as an advisor and his evidence based practice has informed the training prescription of Olympic and World level athletes. With a continuing curiosity regarding human performance Paul is one of the most thorough coaches I have worked with and I thoroughly endorse his holistic approach.

— Thomas walton, physical preparation coach at SportScotland.

Where do I start?! Paul is a genius! He has been able to help me safely and effectively drop weight quickly when taking fights on short notice. He ensures I am in the best position possible when handing over to the UFC PI who handle fight week internally.

I can’t believe how calm he is, nothing seems to bother him and when I panic about my weight going up and down and I’m getting stressed, he reminds me to trust the process and that everything is okay. He keeps on top of me to make sure I don’t over eat, but just as importantly, that I do not under eat. I know I can message him any time and he will get back to me. Top man to work with and I would recommend him to anyone.

— DArren “the dentist” stewart, ufc middleweight

Working with Paul has been a real eye opener for me. Despite thinking my knowledge on training/nutrition was decent, he’s shown me new levels and leaves no stone unturned in my preparation. I started out just working with Paul as a nutritionist, but after experiencing his approach and attention to detail in his work, I quickly added support in an S&C context too. He’s changed the way I think about my training, and I now train a lot smarter; gaining better results without burning out.

He’s always on the end of the phone for any of my worries, concerns or questions, and always provides a detailed and understandable theory to justify his answers. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how far I can progress as an athlete under Pauls guidance.

— Tom Brennan, professional boxer.

It has been a great experience working with Paul, and I definitely will be looking to continue working with him in the future. He works around you, and makes sure you have options.

He really helped me make weight so easy, and all whilst eating much more than I have done previously, even sneaking in chocolates here and there for the mental rest-bite too! He ensured that I comfortably made weight, whilst feeling fit, fueled and strong.

Overall, I’ve really enjoyed working with him and will definitely have him in my camps in the future, because of the results that I’ve seen. A great and fun guy to work with.

— Nav Mansouri, professional boxer.

I approached Paul to take my running to the next level. His positive and professional attitude and approach to training was clear from the outset. The workouts were tailored to my current training load and were made clear to understand. He constantly checks in to assess my fitness and wellness. Since working with Paul, I have become leaner, more mobile, and have managed to stay injury free, which is paramount in order to achieve my weekly mileage.

Paul has also given me tips on my diet and ways of adjusting it to get the most out of my training. He has exceeded my expectations and I’m looking forward to continuing my work with him in pursuit of my competing for England.

— Toby smith, competitive runner and endurance athlete

I have been working with Paul remotely for some time now and it is fair to say that his knowledge and his commitment is unbelievable. From live FaceTime calls, to his online/remote programming, the detail and hard work doesn’t go amiss. Working on rehabilitation, pre-season fitness, speed, and conditioning, all from a distance - has helped me to perform at my highest level, competing in a new team with bigger challenges. Paul is undoubtedly the best I have worked with, he puts incredibly effort and dedication into his work, ensuring you are reaching your personal goals and optimising your potential on and off the field. I would without a doubt highly recommend him to anyone who wants to improve, in any way.

— Mollie lambert, former wsl and current women’s championship footballer.

I met Paul over a year and a half ago when I first joined West Ham Utd. I was immediately impressed and knew I was working with one of the greatest in the industry. In particular, his knowledge around speed development blew me away. Simply put, within just a short few weeks, I was quicker and faster from working with him - the data confirmed it and my speed continued to develop as weeks went by.

His attention to detail and ability to get a message across allowed me to adapt and fine-tune my running technique, which has taken me to the next level.

I can honestly say that my athleticism increased more in the year that I worked with him, than it had done in the 18+ years prior. His explanations, cueing, and demonstrations are easy to follow and even easier to pick up. The only frustrating thing about working with Paul, is that you’ll wish you met him sooner.

— Martha thomas, wsl forward and scotland international.

Since beginning my training journey with Paul I have done a full 180 on how I understand strength and conditioning. He has helped me to understand body mechanics and how I can be more effective in my training as well as knowing when to push to my limits and when to rest. 

From his qualifications alone it is evident that Paul knows his stuff but it is his ability to convey such technical and scientific knowledge to people like myself that really sets him apart. We are only at the early stages of what I believe is going to be a huge long term transformation and I couldn't think of anyone better to guide me than Paul. 

— Glen thomas, muay thai fighter.

I was first introduced two years ago whilst he was working at West Ham FC. It was immediately evident to me that Paul is one of the brightest minds I have met in the industry. His depth and variety of knowledge is incredible, and now having Paul on board at PWR and with my clients is a huge asset I will continue to utilise more and more. These qualities, coupled with his dry northern humor, make Paul an incredible coach and colleague.

— RICKY MCFARLANE, S&c coach at mcfarlane training systems and performance director at PWR UK.