It has been raining medals for Team GB at this summer’s Olympics, with the likes of Adam Peaty, Tom Daley, Matty Lee and Tom Pidcock claiming gold medals at the Tokyo games.
But there is another competitor from the adviser community who has a gold medal in her sights in Tokyo later this summer and Health & Protection spoke to her.
Earlier this month, Health & Protection reported on Jordanne Whiley, who won the Wimbledon women’s doubles wheelchair title on Sunday – her fifth time claiming the trophy.
However, the mortgage and protection adviser at Hearthstone Mortgages is also competing at this summer’s Paralympics in Tokyo, having previously won bronze in the wheelchair doubles in Rio and London.
Whiley (pictured) told Health & Protection that her training has been going really well, adding she is successfully balancing the demands of being an adviser, Olympic competitor and mum to a three year old.
“I’m self employed so that’s naturally a bit more flexible. But when I started at Hearthstone I made it quite clear what I did and I would need a little bit of time off and be a bit flexible,” she said.
“I get a lot of support so it’s been really good – I just let them know when I’m out of the office. I train four days a week and because the company is flexible I work around my training hours.
“I’ve got a little boy who’s three. He’s at pre-school so I get a little bit of time in the day so I’m training or in the office.
“And on the days when I’m not in the office I can still work from home. I don’t have to be in the office all of the time. I’ve just got a very supportive family who help me out as well.”
Two medal target
Whiley added that her employer also provides support from the side lines as Hearthstone managing director and owner Ajay Nayyar came to watch her recent Wimbledon title win.
And Nayyar is also supporting Whiley by taking on some of her case work while she is away in Tokyo, as she flies out on 18 August.
Once she’s in Tokyo, Whiley says she is aiming for one final hurrah with a gold medal haul.
“I’m going for gold. I’ve got two bronzes already so I’d like to come home with gold but I’m aiming for two medals from these games rather than just one, because I’ve never medalled in the singles event so that’s my goal,” she continued.
“I had my son in 2018. I wanted to come back to try and go to Tokyo to try and get a gold medal and so I knew it was my last shot and so this will definitely be my last games.”