What happens when your childhood dream of being a professional athlete ends\u2014and you have to start again? For TJ Weistra, badminton was everything: first as a player at the highest level, then as a coach in Peru and New Zealand. Today, he\u2019s the CEO of Badminton Australia, proving that success can take many forms. From PE class and school support that allowed him to chase his sporting goals, to moving into sports management with a Graduate Diploma in HR and an MBA, TJ\u2019s pathway has been anything but linear. He worked his way from athlete to coach to leader, showing how growth and resilience can shape new opportunities. In this conversation, TJ reflects on how his definition of success has evolved\u2014from focusing on \u201cme, myself, and I\u201d as an athlete, to helping others thrive, guiding organisations, and being present for his own children. This episode is for parents and students feeling pressured to \u201chave it all figured out\u201d by their teenage years. TJ\u2019s story is a reminder that pathways aren\u2019t straight lines, and that success is about growth, values, and supporting those around you. You\u2019ll discover: \u2022 How elite sport prepared TJ for leadership and life beyond the court. \u2022 Why success shifts from personal wins to collective growth. \u2022 The role of mentors and teachers in supporting unconventional pathways. \u2022 Practical advice for parents: nurture, support, and remind your kids it\u2019s okay not to have all the answers at 14. Because success isn\u2019t fixed. It grows and changes with you. Know someone else with a story that should be shared? Get in contact with us at morethanascorepod@gmail.com!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What happens when your childhood dream of being a professional athlete ends\u2014and you have to start again? For TJ Weistra, badminton was everything: first as a player at the highest level, then as a coach in Peru and New Zealand. Today, he\u2019s the CEO of Badminton Australia, proving that success can take many forms. From […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_breakdance_hide_in_design_set":false,"_breakdance_tags":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-181187273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"yoast_head":"\n