Charlie Unwin

Performance Psychologist

Charlie has a distinguished reputation in the field of human performance and psychology. His clients include multiple Olympic champions, England Football, military Special Forces and the Royal Household.

Charlie's passion for human performance has been uniquely shaped by a varied career as an athlete and a platoon commander on the front line in Iraq. He is passionate about the concept of training our mind and physiology to adapt more effectively to the challenges of sport, business and life. 

Charlie works with both riders and coaches. He regularly holds talks and workshops with other equestrian professionals to educate people about how they can learn and apply psychology to their everyday training.

Charlie runs Centre10 - supporting equestrian coaches to enhance the impact they have with their riders by being more psychologically informed. 

Charlie's book – Inside Out -  became an overnight Amazon best Seller in two categories. 

Dee So'oialo

Performance Specialist

Performance specialist to some of the best horse and rider combinations in the world and founder of Dynamic Performance Hub. The Hub is the only world class performance facility for horse and rider, based in the home of equestrian sport, Gloucestershire, England. 

Dee is also the founder of EQ Bands™, a worldwide used fitness and training tool for riders on and off the horse. Now with accredited coaches available across the globe. One of only 20 therapists in the UK to be qualified in rider and equine fascial manipulation and combining performance analysis on the horse, with rider strength and conditioning. Dee supports optimal rider and equine athletic performance and is changing the way we think about the horse and rider relationship.

Always looking at every aspect of performance for both and working with the wider Hub team to connect the dots and optimise performance at every angle. She has a true love for horses and invests highly in them and the elite riders she has the privilege to work with.

Milly Boorman

Sports Nutritionist

Milly works as our Sports Nutritionist (SENr) to support riders in pursuing equestrian excellence through all things food!

On completion of her MSc in Applied Sports Nutrition, Milly has worked with elite-level athletes in a range of sports. This direct involvement has given her the opportunity to witness the significant impact of optimal nutrition on high-level performance and the health and well-being of the athlete. She is also qualified to complete ISAK Level 1 Anthropometric Assessments to measure body composition using the skinfold method.

Food is not only an important performance tool but personal to the individual. Therefore, Milly’s approach is entirely individualised to the athlete. This can come in the form of elevating practical skills such as cooking and food shopping, strategising nutrition for events to enhance performance and recovery, supporting a rider’s relationship with food, and optimising everyday nutrition to fuel the rider for the work required. 

Her aim is to combine the relevant scientific literature with impactful strategies and fun initiatives to achieve individual nutrition success!

Evie Hitchen

Operations Manager and Trainee Sport Psychologist

Evie is part of our Performance Psychology team and also works as an Operations Manager behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly here at Peak Rider. Evie has been working with Charlie at Centre10 for several years and having been a rider herself, has a real passion for combining psychology with the equestrian world.

Evie has recently completed her MSc in Sport Psychology and was awarded the Professor Frank Sanderson Award for her research project. She is currently studying on the Sport and Exercise Psychology Professional Doctorate course at Liverpool John Moores University. 

In her work with elite athletes at a holistic sport rehabilitation clinic in Liverpool, Evie focuses on building confidence, enhancing emotional regulation, and supporting athletes through the process of returning from injury. Her individualised and holistic approach enables athletes to work on improving both their well-being and achieving peak performance in training and competition. 

Steffi Dampney

Chartered Sport & Exercise Psychologist

Steffi Dampney, (MBPsS), is a Sport and Exercise Psychologist who works in a variety of sports, both team and individual.  As well as equestrian sport Steffi has worked in athletics, rugby, football, golf and shooting.  

Steffi is currently working as Sport Psychologist for the Sports Academy at Hartpury College and University, focussing mainly on the golf, women's rugby and equestrian academies.  She also helps to run Centre10, providing insight into equestrian psychology for coaches. 

Steffi is an accredited Spotlight Practitioner with Mindflick, who have innovative products that help individuals and teams increase their self-awareness, and shift their habitual ways of performing.

Steffi enjoys competing herself, and understands all too well the pressures put on athletes both by themselves and other people.  Using her training along with her competitive experience, Steffi works with athletes to discover the best techniques to enable them to fulfil their potential.

Jenna Ashford

Chartered Psychologist

Jenna is a chartered psychologist, registered with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC). She has worked with some of the UK’s leading sports and business teams, including England Football and British Rowing and now works with elite athletes in a range of sports as well as senior leaders across many different sectors globally.

Jenna started her career in sport, representing England Hockey, and playing professionally in Germany and Australia. She loves to challenge herself physically as well as mentally, and has completed an Ironman triathlon, climbed Mont Blanc and trekked to Everest Base Camp.

As someone who values calmness and compassion, Jenna also practices meditation and works with multiple charities to give something back to communities across the world through the teaching of psychology.