Dan is always on the move - whether it's attending sporting events or going training overseas! This week, Dan tells his readers about his favorite things to pack in his suitcase when he's on the go.

1. iPad: There are a lot of times when I'm waiting around in airports, or facing a long train or bus journey. So having my iPad with me is really useful, because I can watch videos, go online, listen to music or just read to pass the time.

2. Playstation: Kicking back with my Playstation is sometimes all I need after a long hard day of training. Taking it with me overseas makes it easy for me to just plug and play when I want to!

3. My kit bag: My kit bag contains all my hand guards, strapping, chalk etc., and is an absolute must-have. I wouldn't be able to train without it!

4. Maximuscle Nutrition: This helps me to train longer and harder. It's also responsible for helping me to maintain my competitive edge throughout the competition.

5. Travel Adapters: I need at least 5 of these with me any time I travel! Because I have so many gadgets, chargers and the like, I don't know what I'll be able to do without them.

Hope you found this interesting!

Cheers, Dan

Dan's Top 5: Getting into sports

Welcome to the second round of Dan's Top 5! This week, Dan shares his Top 5 tips for people who want to get into sports.

1. Don't be afraid to try new things: When you're just starting out, try more than just one sport. Doing this will expose you to many different areas, and you could end up being really passionate about something you never thought you would.

2. Choose something you enjoy: When you do choose a sport, make sure that it is something that you enjoy. Because you're going to be spending a lot of time doing something and if you don't like what you're doing, you're never going to feel as satisfied.

3. Set yourself realistic targets & goals: It's very important to be practical when you're setting your targets. Setting goals that you don't have a realistic chance of achieving can cause you to lose both time and morale.

4. Be prepared to work hard: A strong will is just as important as being physically fit. There will be times when you'll have to really push yourself and go the extra mile when you least feel like it, so make sure that you're ready to commit to that,

5. Get a strong support system: When you're starting something new, there will be times when you need a confidence boost. Friends and family are incredibly important for this, so surround yourself with people who want the best for you.

These tips have helped me to get by, so I hope they do the same for you!

Cheers, Dan

Thank-you cards for Dan

Dan has received a lot of thank-you cards from the students of Chiltern Primary School and Little Houghton Church of England Primary school after he visited them last month! 

Click on the photos to view larger versions.

Needless to say, they were thrilled to have him visit them, and Dan is touched by their appreciation.

Back on the Winner's Podium :)

In his latest Opus Energy Challenge blog, Dan tells readers about how he got on at the Challenger Cup - his first competition post-injury!

Dan launches Opus Energy's new wellbeing campaign, Opus Energise!

Opus Energy kicked off its new workplace wellbeing campaign 'Opus Energise', and Dan was in the thick of the action during the launch! He gave an inspiring and motivational talk to staff, and answered some of their questions about living a healthy lifestyle and staying fit. This helped in setting the tone for the rest of the campaign, and gave the staff an opportunity to meet one of their favourite local gymnasts at the same time!

Alexandra Dann, Marketing Executive at Opus Energy, tells us about finally meeting Dan after only ever interacting with him over the phone: “I catch up with Daniel every couple of weeks when he writes the Opus Energy Challenge blog, so it was great to finally meet him! I was really surprised to find out about the food he eats. I expected him to eat lots of pasta, but he said that he tends to eat chicken because he doesn’t want to take on too many carbs. He also has 6 meals a day which I was quite jealous about!”

Louise Altman, Marketing Assistant at Opus Energy, speaks about her experience at the launch: "It was great to meet Dan after reading so much about him on our blog! It was really nice to hear him speak about how much Opus Energy has helped him over the last couple of years and how without the company’s support he’d be unable to commit so much time to his training.”

L-R: Louise, Dan and Alexandra

Opus Energy secured a ‘First class’ rating in the Best Companies accreditation scheme, and valuable staff feedback from the survey has helped to shape and drive the Opus Energise campaign.

 

Dan lauded Opus Energise, and said at the launch: "It’s great to work with a company that realises the value of getting its staff involved in sports and thinking about being healthy. I know it’s not an easy thing to do, particularly when you work all day, so I hope that my talk inspired Opus Energy’s employees to stay fit and healthy and get the most out of the new Opus Energise scheme.”

Dan's Top 5: Staying motivated

We're kicking off a new series of posts here on Daniel's blog called 'Dan's Top 5', in which you get to know a little bit more about Dan and get a glimpse into his world.

This week, Dan shares his Top 5 tips with Opus Energy and his readers, on how to stay motivated!


1. Set goals and targets: You need to do this if you want to stay motivated. And make sure that they are ones that you can achieve easily, because you want to remain realistic!

2. Set new targets only after you have achieved the first set: If you set too many targets at once, it's unlikely that you will hit all of them and will only end up being demoralised. So take it slow and steady.

3. Make sure you are enjoying what you do: Doing what you want, and not what someone else wants is incredibly important. Because you need to be able to push yourself, and that can only happen if you're passionate about it.  

4. Give yourself a treat if you achieve your goals and targets: When you have worked hard and your success has paid off, reward yourself. It will motivate you to do even better, and you have certainly earned it!

5. Know and believe in your own ability: You have to believe that you are capable of being the best. Self-confidence is incredibly important, no matter what you are doing, so give it all you've got knowing that you can!

Hope this helps you!


Cheers, Dan

Heading off to France with the GB team

In his latest Opus Energy Challenge blog, readers find out how Daniel feels about not getting selected for the European Championships. Did it come as a surprise?