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Catch up with all the latest sports news from across the county with Finn Macdiarmid.
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05:52It's great to see you again as well.
05:54Thank you very much for having me.
05:55No problem at all.
05:56I suppose, first of all, let's get into a bit of behind the scenes.
05:59Ahead of the season starting, was this something you particularly expected?
06:04It's definitely something that we anticipated.
06:06We're very ambitious.
06:08We set our sights to take the Invicta women's team into promotion.
06:14That's definitely going to be the aim.
06:16We are an ambitious bunch.
06:18And what's really taken a good liking for me as a coach is the togetherness that this team
06:25shows.
06:26It's not just about the results, although the results are really the determination of whether
06:31we get promoted or not.
06:33But it's the togetherness.
06:35It's making sure that our mentality is right and how we approach every game, which is probably
06:38why we've had this flawless start so far.
06:40We've played four matches, four wins, three nils in each one of them.
06:44We haven't dropped a set.
06:45And very rarely, a lot of teams are getting into double digits.
06:48So I'm very, very impressed so far.
06:50So is it that mindset you mentioned, is that both on and off the court?
06:53And tell me a bit about the kind of setup that allows you to do that and have that togetherness
06:57within the team.
06:59Absolutely.
07:00I mean, to be honest, we have a really good core group that not only work really hard whilst
07:06they're on the court with me and we work on specific strategy skills.
07:10We work on, you know, certain things that are going to help us in certain moments of
07:14the game.
07:15But what really happens in volleyball and a lot of team sports really is how you adapt
07:19when things aren't particularly going well in the game.
07:22How quickly can you come out from something that is not necessarily going according to
07:26plan?
07:27How well can the team adapt on court?
07:28Because I can't play on court for them.
07:30It's something that he's learned.
07:31It's something that he's trained, but also outside the court, the girls do lots of social events
07:35together, whether that's, you know, their own sort of certain boot camps.
07:38They work in the gym.
07:39They do certain sort of social events as well.
07:42So they work outside the court as well as they, as much as they do inside, which is really
07:47a testament to the results too.
07:49I see.
07:49And part of the nature of the game of volleyball is that there's always rotations.
07:53There's always players, whether they're attacking at the front or defending at the back.
07:57Is there that kind of emphasis placed on a defense first or what exactly is prioritized in training?
08:04Are they players first, then positions second?
08:07Yeah, absolutely.
08:08So when it comes to a sport like volleyball, for me, the game always starts with a serve.
08:15Okay.
08:15Much like tennis, volleyball, you start with a serve.
08:17And then as soon as that serve goes over the net, as soon as the ball is over, you are
08:21automatically
08:22in block defense.
08:24Now, without block defense, it's extremely difficult to continue the rallies.
08:29And for me, I have adopted and I want the team to adopt an identity in Invicta Volleyball,
08:34whereby we are extremely difficult to score against.
08:37And I want the teams to feel like they've got to try and score three times in order to achieve
08:41one point
08:41on the scoreboard.
08:42And that is something that is definitely drilled.
08:45It's something that comes with a mentality on courts, because I think it's quite quick and easy to teach
08:51somebody the basic skills of defense.
08:53But defense is also more mentality and the will to try and pick up the ball, the will to stick
08:58to a particular
08:59system or strategy that is presented to them at the beginning of the game and how long we can keep
09:03focused
09:04throughout in order to do so.
09:06In terms of offense, my offense are free to express themselves.
09:11And I think that's why it's really a great sport to watch so that they can hit the balls really
09:16hard.
09:16They're very dynamic.
09:18There's lots of great action in the game.
09:20So it's something that I really enjoy watching and training them on, both offense and defense.
09:26Amazing.
09:27So there's a real balance there, you'd say?
09:29Absolutely.
09:31Brilliant.
09:31And because of the nature of volleyball, sometimes there's multiple games being played in a single day in some instances.
09:38I believe you have a tournament coming up soon where that may be the case.
09:41Do you find that by the time you get to some of those last sets in games, you can find
09:45your players kind of getting a bit exhausted?
09:47How do you kind of combat that?
09:49Is it a heavy squad rotation?
09:51Yeah, so sometimes we rotate players to make sure that everybody does achieve some court time.
09:58To me, it's also not just about the court time, but I also at this particular stage of the season,
10:03I can put players in certain positions to identify, again, different areas of strengths and weaknesses that I can see
10:12in my own team as well.
10:13So for me, I don't focus too much on necessarily the opposition.
10:17I think it's important for us to focus on us.
10:21And I think that's really what separates us from other good teams in the league is that we can identify
10:26our sort of own strengths and weaknesses and work towards that.
10:30And I have a good bunch that are able to come in.
10:33And if you're not on the court, they have as much of a role off the court in the corner
10:37as well, celebrating every point, cheering on when we lose a point.
10:43And that's what makes part of our team.
10:46Absolutely.
10:46And obviously, you mentioned earlier that promotion is the goal this year.
10:50How confident are you feeling about that?
10:52Obviously, a flawless start is pretty much the best start you can get.
10:55But tell me about the road ahead.
10:58Yeah.
10:58So, again, I don't like to necessarily think about what we've achieved already in training and also the results, because
11:05I do think that there's always the next step.
11:07OK, if we start celebrating too early, I think that's where most team sports and teams often get caught off
11:14guard.
11:14You know, I don't want our team to feel complacent.
11:17I don't want our team to feel like they've won anything yet because we haven't achieved promotion yet.
11:21So, yes, the focus is on that, but I need to maintain focus in my team and make sure they
11:27have the mentality to push through until the very last point, the very last game of the season in order
11:32for us to achieve that spot.
11:33And once we do, we can then obviously, you know, raise a glass and celebrate and then press on ready
11:38for the next season.
11:40I see.
11:40Well, thank you so much for joining me and for giving us the update into your season and fingers crossed
11:46for the upcoming games.
11:47Thank you so much, Nathan.
11:48Thank you, Finn.
11:51And thanks again to Nathan for joining me.
11:53Now, don't forget, as always, maybe if you're not too interested in volleyball, if you prefer maybe a game played
12:00on grass, you can head over to Kent Online to read all your latest football news.
12:05You can also have your weekly digest of Jill's news sent directly to your email inbox.
12:09You can just search Kent Online email alerts and sign up on the website for all the latest written transfer
12:13news, match reports and interviews.
12:15And if the Jill's isn't your cup of tea, well, there's plenty more email alerts to choose from, including all
12:20the latest non-league football news as well.
12:25Now we've reached half time here on Invicta Sports.
12:29So it is, unfortunately, time for a break.
12:31But coming up, I'll be speaking to the mental health advocate, Bupinder Sandhu.
12:35He's from Gravesend.
12:36And he's recently undertaken a walk all the way from London down to Dover.
12:41He met plenty of people along the way.
12:43We're sharing a bit about his training, but also about how important your mentality is as well as your physical
12:48health.
12:49We'll have that and we'll be taking a look back in an Invicta Sport Classic where I tried out underwater
12:54hockey.
12:55Emphasis on the word tried.
12:56All that and more after this short break.
12:58See you soon.
13:27Bye.
13:28Bye.
13:32Bye.
13:52Bye.
13:54Bye.
14:25Bye.
14:57Bye.
15:21Bye.
15:22Bye.
15:49Bye.
16:09Hello, and welcome back to Invicta Sport Live here on KMTV.
16:14Now, earlier I spoke to Bupinder Sandhu.
16:16He's from Gravesend and walked all the way to Dover from London all for Mental Health Awareness Week.
16:22I spoke to him earlier all about his journey and about how his mental health is just as important in
16:27his training as his physical health.
16:29Let's take a look at that chat.
16:31Well, thank you so much for joining me, Bupinder.
16:34I mean, you're a KMTV regular, it feels like, at this point.
16:37Tell us about what you did at the end of last month, your walking challenge from London all the way
16:41down to Dover.
16:42Tell us a bit about where that started.
16:43It started from Parliament Square and we finished outside the Dover Castle.
16:47It was 135 kilometres in three days.
16:51So that was just...
16:52Well, yeah, quite an impressive tally there.
16:55And tell us a bit about why you chose to do this walk.
16:58All my walks are just to raise awareness about mental health and start the conversation around mental health challenges.
17:05Because, as we know, these challenges, mental health challenges, are increasing exponentially, I would say.
17:11Because daily, regularly, the growth is going up.
17:16People are facing, and especially when the winters come in, it becomes even worse for people because of loneliness.
17:22It gets dark.
17:24It's gloomy outside.
17:25And more problems.
17:27People are more lonely because there's not much to do outside.
17:32So just to raise awareness and start the conversation, that's why we do these walks.
17:37I see, and you're probably a familiar face to people around Kent.
17:40You've done plenty of walks across the county.
17:42Tell me a bit about the kind of training you do.
17:44Is it something you train for regularly?
17:46Just walk.
17:48Yeah.
17:48I hope that does make sense.
17:49I try to do about 10,000 to 15,000 steps on average.
17:53So that keeps me going, sir.
17:55And these challenges, Finn, are more mental challenges.
17:58Because when you're walking for 50 kilometers in a day, it's all about, especially when the weather was beautiful, you
18:06know, after midday on the Saturday when we started.
18:09It's more about the mental challenges when you're going through those muddy, slippery fields for three, four hours.
18:16And the practice is just like you train your mind as well and your body.
18:21Do you think people expect that when they hear that that's part of the message?
18:24It is because mental health is just like that.
18:28It is not a flat road.
18:30Anything can trigger mental health challenges.
18:34So we find one day something happens.
18:37We feel stressed, anxious, depressed.
18:40So it's all about that when you are facing any challenge, it's not going to be a smooth recovery.
18:46You will be facing those bumps, those challenges.
18:48So it represents that as well.
18:50I see.
18:51But, you know, is there that kind of tie then between your physical health and your mental health as well?
18:55Because, you know, you're getting outdoors.
18:56As you say, it is the winter months.
18:58It is cold.
18:58But you're getting outdoors as well.
18:59Is that something that you kind of teach and tell people about as well?
19:02Absolutely.
19:03Mental health and physical health go hand in hand.
19:05You can't have good physical health and bad mental health or good mental health and bad physical.
19:11So once you change your physiology, your psychology changes, your psychology changes, your physiology changes, so they are part and
19:20part of the package.
19:21And tell me where your personal motivation comes from to do this.
19:24Let's talk to me a bit about your sort of your origin story within all this.
19:27I'm a mindfulness coach.
19:29I see people because I talk about mindfulness.
19:31I train them about mental health and meditation.
19:34I see people suffering from stress, anxiety and burnout.
19:38They have become the new normal way of our living.
19:42And it's easy when we sit in a studio like this or a conference room or meeting room and talk
19:47about mindfulness and mental health.
19:49But when you go out, it represents the physical challenges as well.
19:55What a person going through physical mental health challenge is exactly the same when you go through any physical challenge.
20:02I see.
20:03And if there was someone out there who wanted to do what you do and do these walks and take
20:07on these challenges, what would you say to them?
20:09Go out.
20:10And these days it's very easy, to be honest, because earlier we have to get the map, look at the
20:15map.
20:16Now we have so many apps.
20:18And they're so accurate.
20:20They never let me down.
20:22You're in the middle of nowhere.
20:24And you have got six paths.
20:26It will tell you exactly where you're going.
20:28So put your trainers on and start walking.
20:32And would you say that's as easy to do in, you know, the wheel, for instance, where it's like some
20:36countryside versus somewhere that might be a bit more built up?
20:39Think of your Graves Ends or Gillinghams.
20:40Is it something that people could do anywhere?
20:42Anywhere.
20:42Walking is just around the block.
20:43Just even if it's raining, just do it in your sitting room.
20:47Just up and down.
20:48Walking is the easiest thing.
20:50You don't require anything.
20:52Fair enough.
20:53I mean, your walks have taken you to many different places.
20:55Sounds obvious.
20:56But, you know, what would you say has been some of the reception you've gotten when you've gone to these
21:01different places?
21:02You know, on a good day, like on Sunday, the weather was beautiful.
21:06I stopped for coffee in a cafe on the Pilgrim's Way.
21:09It's a long road.
21:12And they were just small cafe with five people having coffee.
21:15They sold my T-shirt, London to Dover.
21:18And we started conversation about mental health.
21:22And that's the thing.
21:23And then you're walking across.
21:25People see that thing.
21:26And especially the dog workers, that's what you find these days.
21:29And when you start these conversations, they come, they tell their stories.
21:34And it's so rewarding when somebody comes up and tells their stories, which people normally don't even share with their
21:42loved ones.
21:43So that's the most rewarding thing.
21:44When somebody comes up and then says, yeah, I'm going through this.
21:49I'm feeling this, and at least I'm going to give them the outlet to share their feelings.
21:57Absolutely.
21:58And tell me a bit about some of those stories.
22:00Is there anywhere that you've seen that happen more than other places?
22:03Like I mentioned this one, and then I walked further, like on the same route, there was every lady just
22:10standing on the gate of the house.
22:13And there was a beautiful view outside, and I have this thing.
22:17I just said, hello, and then started, how are you doing?
22:21And we started the conversation.
22:22And there was a lonely house on a long stretch, and she's been living there by herself.
22:30And she's like, the only thing is, conversation she has is the dog workers or people walking past.
22:37And then we had a good conversation.
22:39I asked her what, you know, somebody in 70s and 80s, they have got loads of wisdom, especially when you
22:45live in a countryside,
22:47because we live in cities and towns, we have a busy life.
22:52Those people who have seen so much and live in the countryside, I always like to know their experience, their
23:00wisdom.
23:01And they're rewarding.
23:02They tell us such as, she told me that you come out, she comes out, even though she's living by
23:08herself,
23:08she'll look at the open fields and the fridge.
23:11She'll never feel depressed or lonely.
23:13She enjoys it.
23:16And think of us living by ourselves a few days.
23:19We can't do that.
23:20Fair enough.
23:21Well, you've done London to Dover.
23:23What's next?
23:25That's next month I'm doing 24-hour nonstop.
23:28Wow.
23:29Okay.
23:30And tell me a bit about that.
23:31Where exactly are you going?
23:32That's going to be Olive and Gravesend, so that's going to be around Gravesend.
23:36So we'll start from the Gravesend, Gudwara, and then do a few laps in the Gudwara track and then around
23:43the city.
23:44Right.
23:45Well, good luck.
23:45I mean, we'll have to come down and see you when you do that.
23:48But thank you so much for joining me tonight.
23:51Thanks for having me.
23:52Now it's time to remind you you can keep up to date with all the latest sports news, interviews, and
23:57features from here on Invicta Sport
23:58by heading over to our website, kmtv.co.uk.
24:02There you'll see videos like this one, about the time I had a go at underwater hockey,
24:06taught by an athlete in Tunbridge who's honed the niche sport.
24:16You've heard of synchronised swimming, but this sport feels a bit more like swimming with sharks at feeding time.
24:23Underwater hockey sees six players a side trying to push a heavy puck along the floor of the pool into
24:28goals on either side.
24:30Rona is a music teacher in Tunbridge Wells by day, but in the evenings she's a forward for the West
24:35Wycombe Underwater Hockey Club and for Team GB.
24:39But despite being selected to represent the country, the Underwater Hockey World Championship qualifiers this August in the Netherlands.
24:46Since it isn't a professional sport, she's having to raise money on her own to get there.
24:51It's hard, you know, when you train so much and you represent your country, to have to pay for that
24:57is hard.
24:57Because it cancels out some people who might also be able to play, but can't afford it.
25:03I'm a forward, so it's always a really aggressive position to play, and I really love that.
25:11So I'm actually really excited, especially teams like France and South Africa.
25:16They're really top rivals, so I'm buzzing.
25:19Well, just how tough was it down there at the bottom of the pool?
25:21To find out, I put on my flippers and started my training montage.
25:25Well, now it's time for me to have a go underwater hockey as well.
25:29And there's one thing for sure, it'll definitely be sink or swim.
25:44After ten solid minutes of choking on pool water through my snorkel, which, according to Rona, is normally what happens,
25:50I was ready.
25:51I lined up to kick the skirmish off, and pretty quickly had the puck taken away from me, and we
25:56got scored on several times.
25:58It was pretty good exercise and quite fun, but unless I grew gills, I wasn't sure I'd have the lung
26:03capacity.
26:04So I was subbed out, and then Rona went back in to show me how it was done.
26:09Well, my skills might not take me to the Netherlands any time soon, unlike Rona,
26:13but at least I can walk dignified, knowing that I truly gave it a good go.
26:18Finn McDermid for KMTV.
26:58Well, that looks like it's full-time on today's episode of Invicta Sport.
27:05And if you want more from KMTV, whether it's volleyball, underwater hockey, or a walk from London to Dover,
27:11you can head over to our website, KMTV, where Invicta Sports, alongside all of our special shows, are always available
27:18to watch back on demand.
27:20Don't forget to follow us on our social media, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and maybe some other ones, too, if you
27:26can think of them.
27:27Or you can keep up with the latest from Invicta Sport on our website, kmtv.co.uk.
27:32And if you have a sports story, maybe you run a club, or know an up-and-coming athlete who
27:37deserves the spotlight,
27:38make sure to let us know, and it might just be featured next time.
27:42Thanks so much for watching. See you next Monday.
28:31I'll see you next Monday.
29:01I'll see you next Monday.
29:32I'll see you next Monday.
29:49I'll see you next Monday.
30:02Bye.
30:05Bye.
30:05Bye.
30:08Bye.
30:10Bye.
30:12Bye.
30:13Bye.
30:14Bye.
30:14Bye.
30:14Bye.