About this Event
Coffee & Conversation: Handling Pressure
Lessons from elite sport and everyday life
Nathan Reck in conversation with James “Jimmy” Holbeck and David “Shillo” Shillington
Start your Sunday with a coffee and a real conversation.
Pressure shows up in all of our lives. It can show up in sport, at school, at work, in business, at home, in relationships, in parenting, in leadership, and in the expectations we carry every day. Most of us know what it feels like when life gets demanding. Far fewer of us have been shown how to handle that pressure well.
This conversation brings together people who know pressure from more than one angle. Between them, Nathan, Jimmy and Shillo have experienced it in elite sport, allied health, psychology-informed wellbeing and player development, mental health education, business and leadership, family life, and the personal challenges that come with injury, loss, change and life beyond the game.
Together, they understand pressure not just under stadium lights, but in the realities of modern life — in responsibility, change, uncertainty, relationships, performance, and showing up well for the people who matter most. They will share real stories about performance, setbacks, preparation, resilience, recovery, identity, transition, and what they have learned about handling pressure in a healthier and more sustainable way.
At Tacking Point Surf Club, Nathan will guide a relaxed and engaging Sunday morning conversation with former Wallaby James “Jimmy” Holbeck and former Queensland Maroon and Australian Kangaroo David “Shillo” Shillington. This event is designed to be honest, practical and down-to-earth.
From 8:00am to 8:45am, enjoy a coffee and informal chat with Jimmy and Shillo on the balcony. From 9:00am to 11:00am, settle in for a guided conversation exploring what pressure really is, how it affects us, and what helps us stay steady, think clearly and respond well when life gets challenging.
This won’t just be about sport. It will be about everyday life.
The conversation will touch on:
- what pressure is, and why it matters
- how pressure can sharpen us at times, but overwhelm us when it builds too far
- what happens to our thinking, emotions, body and behaviour under stress
- practical strategies that help in times of overload
- the role of sleep, movement, recovery, mindset, connection and self-awareness
- how lessons from elite sport can carry into school, work, business, family life and relationships
- the danger of avoidance as a way of coping with stress and anxiety, and the longer-term cost that can come with it
- how unmanaged pressure can affect our mood, communication and the people closest to us
- why help-seeking matters, and what it looks like to reach out earlier
- what it looks like to take responsibility for our wellbeing and show up better in life
Whether you are a teenager navigating school and sport, a parent carrying a lot, a coach or teacher, a business owner or professional, or simply someone who knows what it feels like when life stacks up, this event is designed to be useful.
Come for the coffee, the conversation and the setting. Leave with practical insights, honest reflections, and a better understanding of how to handle pressure in everyday life.
Suitable for teenagers and adults
About the speakers
James “Jimmy” Holbeck is a former Wallaby with a background in psychology and extensive experience in player development and wellbeing. Since finishing rugby, he has worked as a Kids HelpLine counsellor, lectured at universities, coached first-grade rugby at the University of Queensland and Randwick, and now leads player development at RUPA, helping shape the wellbeing and support frameworks around professional rugby players as they navigate pressure, stress, transition and life beyond the game.
David “Shillo” Shillington is a former Queensland Maroon and Australian Kangaroo who has gone on to build and lead businesses in the mental health and performance space. As a husband, father and business leader, he brings a practical and entertaining perspective on pressure in sport, work and family life.
Nathan Reck is an Occupational Therapist, business owner and moderator of the event. Drawing on experience across health, financial services, leadership, family life, injury and reinvention, he helps connect lessons from elite sport to the realities of everyday life.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Tacking Point Surf Life Saving Club, 40 Matthew Flinders Drive, Port Macquarie, Australia
AUD 0.00
