B5 CONSULTANCY
Peter Mitchell
Hi, I'm Peter, known to most as Mitch. If my life had gone to plan then I'd be telling you that I am a retired professional footballer who had worked hard to live the dream that plenty of little lads from Ireland had ... but life doesn't always go to plan and instead I'm proud to tell you that I'm a former wheelchair basketball player, an actor and, most of all, a husband and daddy.
I'm passionate about telling my story and helping young men and women to make safer decisions in life but also to realise that there'll always be knocks in your life, it's how we respond to them that matters, don't have any regrets.
More about Peter
As a teenaged boy Peter Mitchell flew from his home in Northern Ireland to chase a dream that so many other Irish boys before him had chased. By 2002 it looked like his dream was becoming a reality as he had signed a professional contract with Leeds United and he was well on the road towards being paid to pursue his passion, football.
All of that changed in an instant when, as a passenger in the back of a teammate's car, he broke his spine in two places after the car flipped off the road. Mitch has not allowed his story to become a tragic one though. Like so many, he has gone to some dark places as he lie in hospital rooms and his mother's home contemplating what had been taken from him but he used all of the mental strength that had taken him from Limavady to Leeds to get himself up and back on the determined path to success.
Within a year of the crash Peter was representing Ireland, not in football as he may have dreamed, but in wheelchair basketball. That opportunity then led to acting opportunities and particularly a role in the ground breaking mockumentary Cast Offs, followed by spells on Hollyoaks and Coronation Street and a host of comedy-dramas.
Peter's real passion though is in sharing his experience, inspiring others but also helping them to contextualise and make good decisions, particularly in the unforgiving environments of elite sport.
Below is a short video from our recent work with Rugby Players Ireland where Mitch inspired the latest generation of young pros who will go on to wear the green of Ireland.
