Employee Benefits Live 2024: Improving awareness and visibility in the workplace can allow employees to be their authentic selves, said Mark Foster in his keynote address on 9 October at Employee Benefits Live 2024.
Opening the second day of the conference with his presentation titled Embracing authenticity: the power of being your true self, the Olympic swimmer and broadcaster drew on his own journey of self-discovery while offering employers ways in which they can support staff to embrace their true selves.
Foster explainedhow he began swimming as a child and gradually moved on to competing first for his home county of Essex and then for Great Britain. As he improved, his goals got bigger, eventually aiming to compete in the Olympics. He received a scholarship to attend a sporting school, where he created good habits in order to become a better swimmer.
“Athletes train their bodies to take over so their heads can get out of the way,” he said. “I couldn’t compete in the 2004 Olympics as I was injured, but curveballs can happen every day. It helps to think about what you want the outcome to be before you react. Take three deep breaths for 21 seconds.”
When Foster came out in his personal life, after spending a lot of time not letting people see the real him and keeping his sexuality a secret, his mother worried about the impact it would have on his life, because there was still stigma attached to it at the time. He eventually came out publicly to improve visibility, as he did not really see any LGBTQIA+ in sport when he was younger, and he wanted to help people feel like they can fit in somewhere.
After retiring, he took part in several ventures, such as a swimming academy and FitSteps, to create an environment where people can feel safe.
“It’s important to find your tribe and people where you can be your authentic self, as it’s easier to be this. My goals are to open minds and change people’s views in slow shifts, to help them create healthy habits and move more. Diversity and inclusion is key for minorities,” Foster said.
He concluded by suggesting employers could increase awareness within their organisations by doing more to change language used to provide employees with the opportunity to be their authentic selves and encourage more open conversations.
