This week looked very different from the rest of the project. Due to an ankle injury, I was unable to contribute to the research in the way I had intended. While my teammates continued conducting stakeholder interviews, transcribing recordings, developing the structure of the final report and designing our research poster, my own involvement was much more limited than I had hoped.

Although I was disappointed by this, the week still highlighted how much progress the project has made. The interviews are now providing the evidence needed to compare stakeholder perspectives with our literature review and community data analysis. It was encouraging to see the project transition from planning and preparation into synthesising findings and developing practical recommendations for Leys Cricket Club. The work completed by the group also reinforced the importance of establishing a strong research design early in the project, as this provided a clear framework for analysing the interview data.

This week prompted me to reflect more personally on how I respond to setbacks. I realised that I often have an "all or nothing" mindset: if I feel unable to contribute at the level I expect of myself, I can struggle to see the value in contributing at all. Reflecting on the leadership discussions we have had throughout the programme, I recognised that this does not align with the kind of leader I hope to become. Leadership is not about always operating at full capacity or being the person doing the most visible work. Instead, it requires resilience, adaptability and the ability to remain engaged even when circumstances change. This experience has shown me that setbacks do not have to define my contribution; rather, they present an opportunity to adjust and find different ways of supporting the team.

Looking ahead, my focus is to re-engage fully with the project during its final stages. I want to contribute to synthesising the interview findings, strengthening the final report, and refining our recommendations so that they remain grounded in both the literature and the perspectives of local stakeholders. More broadly, I want to develop the habit of responding to challenges with flexibility rather than disengagement. If I can carry that mindset beyond this project, I believe it will be a far more valuable lesson than simply completing every task exactly as planned.