Wow listeners! Do we have an amazing treat for you today… Thanks to the infinite charm and wide-reaching network (and somewhat sordid past!) of your host Mark Felstead, we are talking today to Jacquie Hughes – mother of 5 and for the last 2 weeks the most celebrated mother in the UK!! The video of her and her family cheering on Tom Dean to his first Olympic Gold in Tokyo went viral and has now over 20M views!!   Jacquie talks to me about the chaos and joy of the moment of Tom’s success and the back story that led up to her new found, but immensely deserved, media fame.   Listen too to the end as the man himself, Tom Dean, also makes a little cameo appearance to speak about his mother.   Jacquie is no stranger to media and TV having already a great track record herself as TV producer and journalist but nothing could quite prepare her (and Tom) for the media storm around Tom’s performances in Tokyo.   Imagine her frustration after years of devotion and dedication to Tom and his siblings (all accomplished athletes) – getting up early every day, attending competitions the length and breadth of the country - and then when it comes to the BIG ONE – not even being allowed to be there!!   But Jacqui decided she could not just let the moment go by and, also to have something to show Tom on his return, she did her best to re-create the poolside arena atmosphere in her own back garden in Maidenhead.  Yes, there was careful planning behind the Watch Party, but no-one could have imagined how it would end!!!   The images of Jacquie with her family and friends celebrating Tom’s win not only went viral, they were used by the BBC as one of the defining images of the games, and they were even shown as part of the closing ceremony in Tokyo (apologies here to athletes)!!   She took hosting virtual events to the next level!!  In her own words, “Events are the bringing together of people for a common cause, and alongside all the technology, it is the human story that people want to see and experience.”   What made it so moving of course, was its authenticity – the images were captured on a phone’s camera! And no, she was not even aware she was being filmed.   And for the future…   Jacquie has been asked so many times about how she raised her son to be an Olympic champion and what were the elements that went into his success, that she hopes very soon to publish her own podcast to share with parents the nuggets of knowledge and experience. Especially relevant in these times of post-lockdown lethargy to help parents motivate their children and to get them involved in sport. “Swimming is such an enrichment to your upbringing, even if you don’t harbour thoughts of raising an Olympic athlete.”   And listeners! You heard it here first!! Jacquie will launch very soon her own podcast called “Raising Gold!”—The story behind raising an Olympic Double Gold medalist and how she can help others raise their children to a Gold Standard!!    Looking forward very much to that!!   Finally, the stars are aligning that Jacquie and Tom may be making a guest appearance at the International Confex show in Excel in September…. So look forward to seeing you there!!   Links   Jacquie Hughes https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquiehughes/ www.raising-gold.com   Mark Felstead https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-charles-felstead-3303b9a/ www.weloveourheart.com   International Confex https://www.international-confex.com     Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   A Podcast Company - is the leading podcast production company for brands, organizations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right equipment, training, and guidance to ensure you sound amazing. - https://www.apodcastcompany.com and www.podcastsyndicator.com