Shift Happens with Richard Sutton | Steven Kitshoff on Grief, Purpose and the Unknown
22 June 2026
A two-time Rugby World Cup winner. A Stormers icon. A Springbok centurion. One of the most respected loosehead props of his generation.
But this is not a story about winning World Cups.
In this episode of Shift Happens, Steven Kitshoff reflects on the moment a routine scrum changed everything. What initially felt like a minor injury became a career-ending diagnosis, forcing him to confront a future he never expected.
Steven opens up about the emotional reality of having his rugby career cut short, the challenge of finding purpose beyond the game, and why he is still grieving a sport that shaped his identity for more than two decades.
He shares lessons from elite performance, leadership, resilience and the pursuit of constant improvement, including the mindset that drove him to search for the extra two percent throughout his career.
The conversation explores adaptation, ownership, identity and the difficult process of stepping into the unknown when life doesn’t go according to plan. It’s an honest reflection on what happens when one chapter ends unexpectedly and another begins.
About:
Shift Happens with Richard Sutton is a podcast about transformation, growth and becoming the best version of yourself.
Through people’s stories, we explore what happens when life applies pressure, when things change, and when doubt or failure forces a shift. These are honest conversations about the moments that shape us and what we can learn from them.
This is not about perfect stories. It’s about real ones and the often unseen shifts that change everything. A podcast designed to help you learn through the experiences of others and navigate your own.
Richard Sutton is the founder and CEO of SuttonHealth and The Performance Code, and a global expert in stress management, resilience and human performance. He is the author of The Stress Code, Stressproof – The Game Plan, and Shift Happens, distilling 25 years of science and lived experience into practical ways to navigate stress, burnout and self-doubt.
Connect with Richard:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realrichardsutton/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-sutton-05913637/
Learn more about SuttonHealth: https://suttonhealth.co.za/
Learn more about FirstLight: https://www.firstlight.healthcare/
Buy Richard’s latest book, Shift Happens: https://www.panmacmillan.co.za/authors/richard-sutton/shift-happens/9781770109773
Listen to Shift Happens:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033h1DNpyPy4ksYgrAB0QX
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/shift-happens/id1896743198