Rugby legend, Jonny Wilkinson has been announced as a keynote speaker for the HCM Summit on 24 October in London.

In an upcoming interview with HCM in preparation for his appearance at the summit, Wilkinson explains how he felt empty after the 2003 Rugby World Cup and how his health and wellbeing business, One Living, has become his mission.

He talks about how it felt to kick that inspired drop goal in the closing stages of the 2003 Rugby World Cup final, that won the title for England while also winning him international player of the year from the International Rugby Board and the BBC Sports Personality of the Year accolade.

Despite it being a dream come true, Wilkinson said the elation soon wore off and the pressure caused issues with his mental, physical and emotional health. “When we chase dreams, we sacrifice the awesomeness of the here and now, to delay 'payment' until later, only to realise that happiness isn’t there,” he says. “When you get what you want, you don’t gain anything you didn’t already have, because happiness has to come from within.”

Wilkinson goes on to speak candidly about his over-training – getting back on the exercise bike the day after spinal surgery – his physical and mental breakdown in the wake of the World Cup, the pressure he put himself under to be perfect and how he turned it all around.

His live health drinks business, launched in 2018, is now his passion. Recently rebranded from Number 1 Living to One Living, the company has three branches: it manufactures a range of kombucha drinks that are packed with live cultures and antioxidants. Alongside this there is a charitable arm, One Giving, which supports mental health charities and One Wellbeing – an online space where Wilkinson shares holistic insights and stress management techniques.

In HCM, Wilkinson talks about why gut health and live food and drinks are so important for physical and mental health. “The connection between the gut and the brain brings you into balance, so you become one whole working together. When you feel whole and in balance, that's what sports people call the zone, and that’s when your performance takes off,” he says. “Living bacteria and gut health weren’t on the radar a few years ago, but now they are, it presents us all with a great opportunity to optimise our health.

“I thought I had achieved everything I ever wanted at the age of 24 and then realised that's just not how it works. My truth has been about this journey of mental health, emotional health and physical health, creating a holistic balance and opening up space for joy, freedom and living in the moment.”

The interview with Jonny Wilkinson will appear in full in the next issue of HCM. Click here to sign up for your personal free copy.

Click here to book a ticket at the HCM Summit.

To order One Living products on a trade basis for your health club, email Tim Lennox at [email protected].

Check out the speaker lineup for the HCM Summit...

Jonny Wilkinson, Founder, One Living

Dean Kowarski, Global CEO Virgin Active and Kauai

Fahad Alhagbani, CEO Armah Sports

Eric Falardeau, Partner, McKinsey

Justin Musgrove, CEO, Fitness Frist UK

Will Orr, CEO, The Gym Group

Colin Waggett, CEO, Third Space

Baz Moffat, Founder, The Well HQ

Phillip Mills, Executive Director, Les Mills International

Pieterjan (PJ) Nuitten, CEO, Jims Fitness

Oliver Patrick, Co-founder, Future Practice

Emlyn Brown, Senior VP Wellbeing, Strategy Design & Development, Accor

Belinda Steward, CEO, Places Leisure

Keith Burnet, CEO, Alchemist & Adventurer