Rob Thirlby — former England 7s star, World Series leading try scorer, Commonwealth Games athlete, and one of the fittest men I ever played with — opens up about the injuries, setbacks, and mental battles that nearly ended his athletic life at 47.
For 18 months he was stuck in a cycle of:
• Constant niggles
• Achilles pain so bad he couldn’t run a mile
• Weight gain
• Stopping sessions halfway
• Losing confidence
• And feeling like he was letting everyone down
And then… he rebuilt everything from scratch.
In this episode, we cover:
• The hidden cost of training through pain
• How ex-rugby players carry 10–20 years of “silent damage”
• Why strength training becomes non-negotiable in your 40s and 50s
• What actually causes long-term Achilles issues
• Why endurance athletes break when strength isn’t there
• How to rebuild an athletic body after years of compensations
• The emotional side of losing (and regaining) your identity as an athlete
• Rob’s turning point — and how he got back to running pain-free
• The exact process we used to rebuild him from the ground up
• The mindset every 40–55 year old needs before starting a comeback
This episode isn’t just about injuries — it’s about purpose, identity, frustration, accountability, and the moment you realise you can’t keep doing this alone.
Whether you’re an ex-athlete, a dad in your 40s, or someone stuck in the same injury cycle…
this is the conversation you needed months ago.
If you want help rebuilding your own body, hit the links below and reach out.
https://calendly.com/razorperformance/30min
What is The Razor Performance Podcast?
Hosted by Andy Reay, former professional rugby player and strength and conditioning coach, this show gets straight into what really matters for long-term performance: staying injury-free, building serious strength, and competing at any age. You’ll hear the methods, principles, and beliefs behind Razor Performance, shaped by years of coaching driven, time-poor and often injury prone men, back to their best. If you want to know how to rebuild confidence in your body, stay injury free and strong, and know what actually works, this is your new weekly listen.