Performance Product Development
Mind and Motivational Management
ICE Performance Team
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In endurance sports you have to be a blue sky innovator. Throughout Paul’s 32 years of challenging the viability of products used,
he like any pioneer has had success and rejection. In success he has been “FIRST” to design and develop and in rejection he has instigated
change which has brought about advancements in safety for adventurers to succeed.
Paul’s determination and resilience to this cause started in 1984. He was managing the GB London to Paris Triathlon Team, where it became
clear that there was a need for an improvement in swim apparel for the sport of triathlon. In partnership with Sola Wetsuits, he designed
and manufactured the first triathlon wetsuit in the sport of Triathlon. It was branded "Triathlon Pro" and was followed by the design and
manufacture of a set of aero tri bars which were taken up by the world’s largest manufacturer of bars, 3T in Italy.
In 2000 whilst working with Bernie Shrosbree Head of Performance for the Ford Rally Team. Bernie instigated the use
of an oxygen tent to enhance and speed the recovery of Colin McRae after his rallying accident in Corsica. I continued Bernie’s efforts with Angela Le Baigue,
whose London-based company Edge 4 led the way when no one else was interested in this performance product development. These efforts transcended into other sports notably by the
likes of David Beckham and were championed by London Marathon winner Paula Radcliffe, who ran the 26.2 mile race in the second-fastest time
ever by a woman in 2002. They are now common place in World Sport.
At the same time Colin’s accident focused Paul’s attention on his own
personal area in a Rally Car being the safety of “the navigator’s seat”. Working with Dr Trafford head of safety for the World Rally Championship Paul pioneered changes
in attitude and promoted the importance of safety equipment used in world rally cars, although not an immediate success as it came at a sensitive time
with the tragic loss of Michael Park on the Rally of Wales in 2005. Even in the preparation work for the Dakar Rally in 2013 Paul had to
highlight to the team the importance of the safety of the competitors and the need to measure and appropriate fit all of the seats. This is
still an area of contention with Paul and his concern for the safety of competitors goes on.
Another development was the use of hydration drinks for the Safari Rally in 2003. This area has been central to Paul’s work within rallying
and was the focus of his work with the Race2Recovery team on the 2013 Dakar Rally. Collaboration with Special Forces suppliers and hydration
product manufacturers showed that even in 2013 there was still no sensible solution to maintaining fluids in a controlled state within extreme
environments and Paul’s challenge is to conquer this area of human performance.
Paul is continuing his work on inventing a method of providing cold water feed to competitors on desert, adventure and endurance sports with a
new ICE product. This work is being completed in collaboration with QT Services who provided the racing WILDCATs for the Race2Recovery history
making rally team.
This website was created and is hosted by Phil Guy
