Paddling Upstream: From Self-Taught to Olympic Analyst

Kristen Wright traces her path through performance analysis, from teaching herself the basics to supporting athletes at Olympic level.

She talks about working across sports as different as netball, baseball and canoe slalom, the technical skills that transferred and the ones that did not, and how she learned to read what a coach actually needs rather than what they asked for.

The session also covers her move from data provider roles into working directly with athletes, and the trust that job depends on. There is honest detail on Olympic cycles, selection, and where technology helps and where it gets in the way.

Useful for aspiring analysts wondering how people get these jobs, and for practitioners thinking about their next move.