Marginal Gains in Action
Marginal gains in action! Sunday was a day spent for some of the MADE Team at Brands Hatch, supporting Jonny Williams with his 1st race meet of the season, watching Jonny competing in the Nankang Tyre BMW Compact Cup. Jonny has battled with Myeloma since 2012, when he was diagnosed at the age of 38. Queen Elizabeth II also suffered with this painful blood cancer that develops in the bone marrow. We take our hats off to them and all those that have and continue to battle life threatening illnesses. Jonny, now thankfully in remission, is raising awareness for the Myeloma charity via his racing presence. Having grit, determination, perseverance, and an abundance of self-reflection are attributes that have served Jonny well, both on and off the track! MADE Training is in awe of these attributes and they have offered us some food for thought and set our minds racing (the pun is definitely intended!). Did you know that our Marginal Gains workshop is inspired by athletes’ perseverance and continual striving for improvement?
Sport is an amazing field in which to demonstrate marginal gains. Studies have shown that improving thirty different factors by 1% is much easier than improving one factor by 30%.
From dressage to darts, rowing to racing, self-reflection and making several small improvements is the definition of marginal gains.
Jonny and his team made a number of marginal gains before the season started. They removed 1.5kg of metal that they didn’t need in terms of brackets etc, to help with the power-to-weight ratio. Also polishing the engine internals helped improve the power. After qualifying, Jonny felt he had the power he needed but was experiencing understeer. The technicians raised the back end of the race car by 2 turns on the rear shock absorbers to push more weight to the front.
Jonny also took 30 minutes before the start of the race to remove any distractions and focus on the race ahead, getting his mind set and in the zone. These marginal gains helped Jonny progress from 18th to 12th place.
It is impressive to witness the precision and concentration of race car drivers as they navigate the track at high speeds, pushing their vehicles to the limit while jockeying for position. The split-second decisions they make and the split-second reactions they exhibit can make all the difference in determining the outcome of the race.
The constant pursuit of improvement, even by mere milliseconds, is a testament to the determination and competitive spirit of these athletes. It is no wonder that motorsport is such a beloved and thrilling sport for so many fans around the world.
Lessons learnt: Tried and tested, marginal gains work! Not only in sports but in education too. Also, never give up! Cars coming off the track, turning round, getting back on and in the race. They might not win, but the practice certainly helps for next time.
If you would like to know more about our Marginal Gains workshop, please click here. We won’t be able to make racing drivers out of your students, but they will be able to take control of their self-reflection and make academic improvements.
To support Jonny and the Myeloma charity, please find his Just Giving Page here.
Thank you for your time.
The MADE Training Team
