life design
WORKSHOPS
FOR ATHLETES
long-game
perspective
resilience
on tap
growth
mindset
deepened
Self-awareness
life long frameworks
WHOSE GAME ARE YOU PLAYING AND WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING FOR?
The medals, the accolades, the post-match celebration with the squad, the two-year comeback, the story you’ll tell your kids one day. Sounds good, right? Don't worry, I know it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. It’s the injuries, the constant unknown between contracts, paying the bills, balancing work and training, deciding to whether to stick out another season or move teams? And the creme de la creme... I've hung the boots up, what do I do now?
Piggyback exists to help you zoom out and design your life with intention, so you have clarity on and off the pitch. We’re not just talking sport, but about the life you’re building alongside it.
If any of the below resonates, Piggyback is built for you
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Sport has taken up a lot of space in your life. Without it front and centre, you’re not sure what defines you anymore.
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Things are shifting — a contract ends, a season finishes, priorities change. You’re in between what was and what’s next, and it’s uncomfortable.
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Nothing is “wrong,” but something isn’t settled. You keep thinking there’s more to your life than what you’re currently living.
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You don’t want vague motivation. You want clearer thinking, better tools, and a way to move forward that actually makes sense.
MEET THE
founder
After some highly motivating parental bribery ($2 per goal), football was my first love. I played for New Zealand at three FIFA Youth World Cups and earned a Div 1 college scholarship in Texas. What followed was the opposite of a traditional path… Burnout, retirement, coming out of retirement (in Spain???), a pro contract, Australia, a championship, a code switch to AFLW, a torn calf, a Grand Final loss, and learning how to juggle two sports at once. Not to mention all of the ‘life events’ that happen outside of sport e.g. how many jobs I’ve had to keep the dream alive.
Along the way I volunteered in Nepal, worked with women’s organisations in Indonesia, dehorned rhinos in South Africa, surfed in Morocco, and basically had some really awesome, juicy, eye opening “wtf am I doing, this is so cool”, moments. Somewhere in all that movement, I learned what most athletes eventually do: identity doesn’t fit neatly into one role, and sport alone can’t carry a whole life.
Piggyback came from living the questions athletes are constantly asking - who am I without sport? What’s next? and how do I build something alongside this, not after it? I don’t have all the answers, but I care deeply about creating space to ask better ones. If you’re even a little bit curious, I have a feeling Piggyback might be for you - let’s chat!!
piggyback principles
Play your cards
Start where you are. Use what you have. You didn’t choose the hand you were dealt, but you do choose how you play it.
No one rides alone
You weren’t meant to do this by yourself. Build on what came before you and take people with you when you move forward.
You’re allowed to change. In fact, you’re supposed to. Life moves in seasons, and so do you. Growth means responding to what’s in front of you.
reinvent yourself often
follow the whisper
You know the feeling. Before it gets loud, it starts quietly - a pull, a nudge, a knowing. Pay attention. Once you hear it, trust it. There’s more waiting on the other side.
1:1 workshops
with athletes
A structure that works for you: one-off sessions, six-week workshops, or short weekly check-ins. Personalised, structured support for athletes seeking clarity off the field. We zoom out, unpack identity, and build a grounded plan for life alongside and after sport.
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workshops for
schools + ClubS
Delivered as one-off sessions or across a full season or semester. Interactive workshops that give athletes the tools to think clearly about identity, pressure, and what’s next. Practical, age-appropriate, and designed to support both performance and life beyond the jersey.
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KEYNOTE
speaking
Engaging, honest talks that open up conversations around identity, transition, and life beyond results - sharing my experience navigating sport and life on my own terms. Ideal for events looking to inspire reflection, confidence, and a long-term perspective in athletes.
what you’ll learn
How to apply the Design Thinking framework to your life to align who you are, what you do, and what you believe. So, when you sense that there’s more for you out there in the world, or when life punches you in the face (Mike Tyson said it, not me), you’ll have the tools to adapt, move forward, and create a juicy life worth writing home about.
personalised
field notes
Each Field Note is grounded in design thinking and chosen specifically for you. Based on your pre-workshop survey, conversations, and where you’re at in the process, your Field Notes are curated to help you reflect, test ideas, and build clarity in a way that feels practical, human, and adaptable.
These aren’t one-off exercises, they’re tools you can return to, remix, and use across different seasons of your life.
“Loved it wow, i feel like there is so much more here that i need.”
— Erin mckinnon, aflw
Their words,
not mine.
“It's not always easy to hold the attention of young athletes online, but Tayla did so effortlessly. We would highly recommend Tayla and Piggyback to any school or sporting group looking to inspire and positively challenge their young people. We look forward to working with her again in the future.”
- Teacher
“It made me think about who I have around me and how important it is to have people who support you and want you to do well. I also liked how she spoke about gratitude, especially when things aren't going perfectly in sport or life. It made me realise that even setbacks can help you grow.”
- Student
“Tayla shared her journey with honesty, humility and authenticity, and it genuinely connected with our students.”
- Teacher
“She was really easy to listen to and didn't feel like she was just lecturing us. It felt more like she genuinely wanted to help us. I definitely took a lot away from it, not just for sport but for everyday life too.”
- Student
“The way she spoke about gratitude and the concept of 'green light people' really resonated. Those themes didn't just land in a sporting sense - they sparked meaningful reflection about friendships, mindset, and the kind of people our students want around them in life. Tayla was professional, well-prepared and highly engaging throughout. She spoke in a way that was relatable and real, and our students were attentive from start to finish.”
- Teacher
faq’s
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I bring lived experience from elite sport and entrepreneurship, backed by formal study and a long-standing curiosity about how people design meaningful lives.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, with a background in graphic design and sustainability, and a Master’s in Business Leadership. Outside of sport, I’ve worked across multiple industries and lived in eight cities across four countries. I understand transition, identity shifts, reinvention, and what it takes to start again.
As a current high-performance athlete across two codes, I deeply understand the complexity, pressure, and nuance of building a life alongside sport. I’ve represented New Zealand in football, competed in Division I College in the U.S., played professionally in Spain, and later transitioned into AFL — navigating new systems, cultures, and identities along the way.
I’m not a psychologist, and I don’t claim to be. Piggyback blends lived experience, academic grounding, and practical life design tools. I bring depth, integrity, and the ability to hold space while actually helping people move forward.
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Piggyback is for athletes who want clarity and ownership over their life, in sport and beyond it. If you’re feeling stuck, questioning what’s next, or don’t want to live on autopilot, you’re in the right place.
Your age, sports and level is not as important as your desire to understand yourself and the life you want to build. All offerings, workshops, and talks can be tailored to suit your needs. -
Yes! In fact, this work is most powerful before you’re forced into change. Piggyback helps you build a full life alongside your sport so transitions don’t hit sideways.
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You’re probably already feeling the effects of the post sport transition. Uncertainty, financial hardship, no idea what you want to do with your career, comparison creeping in and not to mention the complete change of your social circle.
To answer your question, yes! I have worked with athletes who are years on from their sporting career and they’ve still found immense value.
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We always start with a pre workshop questionnaire so I get an understanding of who you are and where you're at in your life. Every athlete is different so that step is crucial. Then we get to work! Depending on what you chose, you'll have a mixture of online calls where we will work through a bunch of 'field notes' (design thinking exercises). You’ll zoom out, ask better questions, and use practical life design tools to get clear on what matters and what’s next.
This is your life and we will take it seriously, but there will be plenty of laughs along the way. I understand the wildly complex and nuanced life that athlete lives and found one of the most effective way to navigate that is with a dose of humour. I'll be there right by your side through the whole thing.
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Not at all. Piggyback is built for the in-between. When you don’t have clear answers yet, but you know something needs attention. You don’t need a plan or a five-year vision. Just a willingness to zoom out, reflect honestly, and start asking better questions.
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All Piggyback sessions are designed to run online, so we can work together no matter where you’re based as long - whether that’s interstate, in NZ, or anywhere else in the world - good wifi helps!
If you’d prefer face-to-face, I’m based on the Gold Coast, Australia. I’m open to discussing travel if it makes sense for both of us.
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Let’s have a chat! Reach out for a free 15 minute discovery call. Taylajeanchristensen@gmail.com +61493674489
NO ONE RIDES ALONE
Let’s Work Together
taylajeanchristensen@gmail.com
+61 0493 674 489
