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Chartered psychologist and rugby coach James Alder is sharing stories about the mental side of sport and training through a podcast called Trauma, Training & Transformation.
Alder grew up in the small, rugby-crazed town of Wigan, England. He eventually became the men’s rugby coach at Acadia University.
After 26 years in the British military and a tour in Iraq, Alder was medically discharged in 2015 because of PTSD.
He says his infantry training focused on preparing for scenarios like searching for weapons, ammunition and explosives. But no one talked about the mental effects.
“How are you mentally going to cope with loss of life?” Alder says. “Loss of teammates, loud explosions. You’re not taught that because you’re expected to find a way yourself.”
Military career
Since he was 16 years old he was involved in the army. Once his 26-year career was over he didn’t enjoy being around people because he didn’t trust them or his surroundings. In isolation, his cellphone reminded him of his traumatic and life-threatening experiences.
“That made me angry,” Alder says. “And the anger added to despair. I was angry at myself; angry at the environment. And then [I] became depressed about how low I felt.”
Alder tried counselling, cognitive behavioral therapy and medication, but none of them “really worked.”
The same year his army tenure concluded, he enrolled in the exercise science program at the University of Winchester. He also started his PhD which focused on utilizing physical exercise to help veterans on their path out of the military. He interviewed veterans who used treatment for PTSD and compared it to those who were physically active.
All the while, he was battling the same disorder his interviewees were fighting.
Alder met his partner in Nova Scotia during his service and has split his time between the Maritimes and England after graduating from Winchester in 2018. He first encountered CrossFit in Nova Scotia.
Alder missed the feeling of being part of a community, which he struggled to find outside of the army.
“You couldn’t concentrate on yourself,” Alder says. “You just had to work through the challenging environment. So there was that, but equally the sense of being part of a community again.”
Alder started to build his self-identity. He crept out of isolation and stopped being suicidal.
“It turned me around from not wanting to live anymore to wanting to return back to the CrossFit gym and be something that not just myself, but obviously my partner deserves,” he says.
With his experience in sports science, he began an independent study on how CrossFit could be a self-relying long-term coping mechanism rather than medication or counselling. He also thought CrossFit was accessible, as people can work out in their homes.
Trauma, training, transformation
After reaping the benefits of CrossFit, he wanted to share his experience with people who may be dealing with mental health struggles.
So, he started his podcast last year. He chose to make a podcast rather than another form of media because it is easy to engage with and podcasts are becoming increasingly popular.
In the nearly 30 episodes out so far, Alder has interviewed ex-Olympic wrestlers, fitness coaches and through his experience in rugby, he has talked to players, coaches and officials. These conversations have ranged from persevering through injuries, masculinity in sport and the pressure of refereeing.
He even spoke to former Canadian Olympic women’s rugby coach Jack Hanratty on dealing with the pressure of performing at the Olympics.
“People have got life-threatening injuries during sport, career-ending injuries, and by sharing their experience they can empathize and resonate with other people going through that similar experience,” Alder said.
His podcast is creeping up on its 30th episode, which will mark the end of its first season.
Alder will continue to have these conversations and advocate for mental health. He says he is looking to set up wellness walks for men in the near future.
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