The High Performance Podcast
By High Performance
<p>Welcome to High Performance. Through fascinating conversations with remarkable guests, Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes uncover the secrets behind High Performance and explore how we can all become the best version of ourselves.</p><br /><p>We focus on uncovering the learnings from top performers in every field, from sport to entertainment, business, health and wellness. No matter where our guests have excelled, they all have first-hand experiences and lessons to share.</p><br /><p>On High Performance we find out what non-negotiable behaviours they employed to get them to the top and keep them there.</p><p><br /></p> <hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
78 episodes
All Episodes
Reclaiming Childhood by Restricting Digital Access and Algorithms
Social media companies employ thousands of engineers to design features that intentionally weaken human self-control. To reclaim childhood, parents must replace digital convenience with real-world friction. This approach protects long-term focus, emotional regulation, and healthy psychological development.
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Building Elite Performance Through Simple Standards and Environment
Top performance comes from simple, non-negotiable standards instead of complex frameworks. You can drive lasting behavior change by increasing the intensity of your environment and embedding difficult tasks within enjoyable routines.
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Leveraging Personal Honesty to Build Resilient Performance Systems
To reach elite performance, leaders must stop shielding their teams from reality. When you replace silent, solo stress with radical transparency and direct communication, you turn friction into a resilient system that drives long-term success.
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How Ambition Erodes Belonging And Vulnerability Restores It
Ambition can help you build a career, but it often comes at the cost of your connections. High performers who seem to be crushing it on the outside frequently struggle with a shortage of real friendships, not a shortage of serotonin. The solution is not more success; it's deliberately engineered vulnerability and awkward, consistent routines that rebuild a sense of belonging.
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Constrained Spontaneity Builds Unshakable Creative Trust
Chaos isn’t the enemy of great creative work--It’s the raw material. The most trusted shows on TV succeed not by avoiding breakdowns, but by building systems where authenticity, not polish, creates lasting cultural impact.
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Why England's Golden Generation Failed: System Over Skill
England's golden generation failed not for lack of talent, but because fear, tactical rigidity, and media pressure crushed psychological safety -- proving that even brilliance collapses without the right environment.
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Cultivating Ownership and Consistency Through Unseen Labor
Cultivate elite performance by embracing unglamorous fundamentals, fostering player-led accountability, and prioritizing long-term systemic value over individual glory.
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Nico Rosberg: Victory's Psychological Costs and Internal Mastery
Elite success breeds a fear of failure, transforming dreams into escapes. Master your internal landscape to achieve sustainable, fulfilling high performance.
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Rebuilding Identity and Purpose After Cancer Treatment
True recovery from cancer means rebuilding a fractured identity and purpose, not just surviving. Discover how to bridge the gap between medical clearance and genuine well-being.
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The Fear Paradox: How Confronting Anxiety Unlocks Elite Performance
Confronting your deepest fears, not avoiding them, unlocks elite performance. Discover how high-achievers leverage anxiety as a signal for growth and lasting success.
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Beyond Scoreboards: Pressure, Preparation, and Elite Performance Alignment
Sustained success hinges on cultivating belief and courage to perform under pressure, not avoiding it. Discover the hidden psychological and systemic factors that separate fleeting victories from enduring excellence.
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Identity Fragility and Rebuilding for Sustained High Performance
True high performance is forged not just in relentless pursuit, but in stepping away and rebuilding. Discover the strategic advantage of a broader life perspective for sustained success.
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Prioritizing Costly Trust Over Performative Metrics for Competitive Advantage
Trust is not a marketing asset. It is a systemic infrastructure built through costly sacrifice. Prioritizing long-term credibility over short-term gains creates a competitive moat that AI and performative metrics cannot replicate.
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Loss Reframes Leadership: Resilience, Empathy, and Purpose
Profound loss can forge unshakeable leadership, deepening empathy and resilience by transforming adversity into a catalyst for genuine strength and connection.
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Paul Wight's Authentic Strength: Empathy, Sacrifice, and Health
Wrestling icon Paul Wight reveals how suppressing personal ambition and embracing vulnerability forged his authentic strength, creating lasting connection and impact beyond the spectacle.
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Modern Masculinity's Identity Crisis: Stoicism vs. Emotional Openness
Men's identities are challenged by a clash between historical stoicism and modern emotional openness. Discover how to navigate this shift for a more authentic, resilient self.
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The Ethical Minefield of Elite Performance and Doping
Elite performance systems create a testing gap, making doping a rational, unethical choice. Understand the systemic pressures and navigate ethical boundaries with foresight.
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Focus on Controllable Performance Over Outcomes for Sustained Excellence
Shift focus from uncontrollable outcomes to controllable performance to unlock potential and achieve sustained excellence, a strategy proven by European giants.
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Character Cultivation Drives Sustained Excellence Beyond Competition
Unshakeable character, not just physical output, builds enduring high performance. Cultivate resilience and self-awareness to thrive through adversity and answer: "Who are you without the medals?"
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Elite Performers Master Pressure by Embracing Discomfort and Fear
Elite performers don't avoid pressure; they master it by embracing discomfort and normalizing fear. Discover how to build resilience and unlock superior performance by focusing on controllable standards and evidence-based confidence.
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Oscar Piastri's Systemic Approach to F1 Mastery
Focus on controllable processes, not just results, to build resilience and sustainable performance. Master the "shit that nobody sees" to gain a significant advantage in complex challenges.
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Stephen Hendry's Dominance: The Psychological Cost of Winning
Elite dominance demands a ruthless "greed" and isolating commitment, sacrificing relationships for relentless control. Discover the profound psychological cost of being the absolute best.
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Formula 1's Hidden Costs: Entry Barriers, Regulatory Traps, and Entertainment Imperatives
Modern F1's popularity hides hidden complexities. Understanding regulatory freezes, proprietary tools, and the psychological impact of hardship reveals the true path to sustained competitive advantage.
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Bell's Wisdom: Master Fear Through Duty, Decisive Action
Master fear by focusing on duty and decisive action, not by suppressing imagination. Learn to make sound decisions under pressure with disciplined pragmatism.
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The Paradox of Self-Doubt Fueling Sustained High Performance
Self-doubt fueled Gary Lineker's sustained success, proving that feeling like you're "blagging it" can be a powerful motivator to work harder and achieve greatness.
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Podcast's 400th Episode: Impact Beyond Reach
Discover how genuine impact stems from deep conversations, not just reach, and learn to build content that offers lasting value and challenges conventional wisdom.
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Sustained Sports Success: Systemic Operations Over Solo Genius
Sustained success hinges on a meticulously crafted operational framework, not fleeting talent. Build enduring power through systems thinking, prioritizing long-term strategy over short-term wins.
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Jean Todt's Ferrari: Embracing Difficulty for Enduring Success
Sustained success stems from embracing imperfection and a fear of not being good enough, driving relentless self-improvement and innovation. This mindset builds enduring winning machines, not just fleeting victories.
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Reclaiming Presence by Abandoning Ego and Destination Bias
We often let our identity and our need for achievement become rigid constraints that keep us from seeing things as they are. You can regain your focus by stepping away from the obsession with reaching a final destination. Choose to be present instead of participating in the systemic inefficiency of living a life defined by performance and goals.
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Yaya Touré: Inner Game Cultivates Sustainable Football Success
Championships are forged in the crucible of internal standards, resilience, and purpose, not just talent. Discover how cultivating this "inner game" builds sustainable success beyond immediate results.
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Martin Lewis: Trust Earned Through Integrity, Not Marketing
Success demands immense personal cost, revealing trust earned through integrity as the ultimate, albeit costly, competitive advantage over hustle culture.
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Athletes' Legacy Hinges on Fair Departures and Embracing Adversity
Crafting a graceful exit is as crucial as achievements, shaping legacy and enduring respect through perceived fairness and a sense of belonging.
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Brené Brown: Vulnerability, Not Armor, Drives True Performance
Armor, not fear, is the opposite of courage. Discover how self-protective mechanisms hinder leaders and why embracing vulnerability unlocks true performance and lasting advantage.
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Strategic Positioning Enables High Performance on Easy Mode
Stop playing life on hard mode. Discover how strategic positioning and mastering your defaults--not just working harder--unlocks sustainable success and better decisions.
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Amplifying Extremes Through Labels Harms Healthy Masculinity
Shining a light on extreme ideologies can inadvertently amplify them. Discover how focusing on individual behavior and positive role models offers a clearer path to nurturing healthy masculinity.
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Ex-NATO Commander Warns of Escalating Crises and Inadequate Conventional Strategy
We may be in the early stages of World War III, driven by escalating crises and a dangerous inadequacy in conventional strategy. Understand the hidden costs and complex causal chains shaping our world.
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Underdog Advantage: Team Politics, Shared Sacrifice, and Strategic Patience
Unlock peak performance by embracing perceived disadvantages. Discover how navigating team politics and the underdog mentality can forge unprecedented resilience and strategic advantage.
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Team Collapse: Psychological Forces and Rebuilding Strategies
Teams collapse when fear erodes collective belief, shifting "sensible hard work" to "protection mode." Rebuild trust by admitting fallibility and prioritizing pragmatic wins to foster resilience.
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Athlete Identity: Separating Skill from Self for Resilience
Separate your core identity from your performance to build resilience and lasting fulfillment, a vital distinction for navigating career transitions and life's pressures.
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Engineered Erosion of Attention: Systemic Theft Not Personal Failing
Our attention is systematically stolen, not just distracted. Discover how digital systems hijack focus, impacting mental health and democracy, and why individual willpower is a losing battle.
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VUCA Landscape Demands Adaptive Culture Over Star Talent
Navigate radical change by embracing adaptive culture and process over brute force, transforming VUCA challenges into strategic advantages.
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Internal Politics Sabotage Strategy--Human Connection Builds Resilience
Internal politics sabotaged Arsenal's strategic growth, costing a key architect his role. Discover how resilience and genuine connection build lasting success even amid professional upheaval.
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Reclaiming Happiness: Inner Peace as Foundation for Performance
Happiness is not a prize, but a default state. Discover how reclaiming inner peace fuels resilience and performance, transforming the endless chase into sustainable achievement.
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How Alex Iwobi's Journey Reveals Hidden Costs of Conventional Wisdom
Discover how fostering individuality and psychological safety, not just discipline, unlocks peak performance. Learn to cultivate creativity and resilience as strategic advantages for sustainable success.
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Ollie Bearman: Embracing Struggle Forges F1 Performance Gains
Unlock elite performance by confronting internal struggles. Learn how structured mental preparation, emotional regulation, and team dynamics transform challenges into significant advantages.
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Ollie Bearman's F1 Season: Architecting Elite Performance Through Resilience
Master elite performance by transforming pressure into advantage. Learn Ollie Bearman's strategy for building resilience, leveraging your support system, and turning mistakes into your greatest competitive edge.
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Michael Johnson's Elite Performance: Confronting Fundamentals for Balance
True high performance stems from confronting uncomfortable fundamentals and embracing evidence-based self-awareness, not just talent or effort. Gain a strategic edge by understanding this disciplined approach to sustained greatness.
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Micro-Habits Build High Performance Through Reframing and Constraints
High performance isn't grand gestures, but compounding micro-habits. Discover how reframing work and embracing unseen efforts builds resilience and unlocks your true potential.
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Morning Anchors Unlock Natural Sleep Quality
Obsessing over sleep rituals backfires; true rest comes from anchoring your day with consistent wake-up times and light exposure, not tracking or performance metrics.
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The Performance Paradox: Presence Over Perfectionism
Perfectionism breeds distress and hinders performance. Discover how embracing presence and uncertainty unlocks sustainable success and a richer life experience.
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Trauma's Shadow Shapes Gazza's Persona and Public Gambit
Early trauma profoundly shaped Paul Gascoigne's career and life, fueling iconic performances while creating deep vulnerabilities. Understand the man behind the legend.
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Psychological Safety Drives Performance in High-Stakes Engineering
Unlock peak performance by embracing uncomfortable truths and cultivating psychological safety. Honest feedback and trust build resilient teams that thrive under pressure.
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Decade-Long Discipline Forged Iconic Performance and Partnership
Uncover the decade of unseen labor and discipline behind Torvill and Dean's iconic four minutes, revealing how sustained effort builds a durable advantage far beyond immediate results.
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Cultivating Learning, Accountability, and Connection for Sustainable Success
Sustainable success is built on a culture of learning, vulnerability, and accountability, not just tactics. Discover how intentional discomfort creates resilient teams that thrive on mutual care and continuous improvement.
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Elite Football Management's Human Dynamics: Trust, Connection, and Player Well-being
Elite football management hinges on deep human connection and emotional intelligence, not just tactics. Discover how understanding individual players fosters trust and unlocks peak performance beyond statistics.
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Gary Barlow's Collapse: Instinct, Discomfort, and Authentic Success
Ignoring your instincts can lead to a seven-year collapse, but embracing discomfort and showing up consistently rebuilds resilience and authentic success.
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Daniel Negreanu: Long-Term Mastery Through Discomfort and Adaptation
Embrace discomfort and mistakes to achieve long-term mastery. This poker legend reveals how strategic vulnerability and continuous learning build a durable competitive edge.
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Authenticity and Long-Term Vision Build Digital Empires
Build an enduring digital empire by embracing imperfection and prioritizing long-term vision over immediate validation, creating a resilient brand that thrives on genuine connection.
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Matthew McConaughey: Life as a Verb, Not a Destination
Life is a verb, not a destination. Embrace the present process to unlock sustainable motivation and achieve genuine fulfillment beyond fleeting success.
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Cultivating Champion Mindset: Professionalism, Resilience, and Trust
Greatness is forged through relentless professionalism and an unbreakable mindset, not just talent. Cultivate resilience by embracing challenges and understanding yourself beyond superficial perceptions.
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Mastering High-Stakes Performance Through Meticulous Preparation and Fear Management
Master high-stakes performance not by eliminating fear, but by transforming it into comfort through a decade of meticulous preparation and honest risk assessment.
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Haas F1 Culture Transforms Technical Setbacks Into Success
Haas F1 transforms a season-opening disaster into success by prioritizing trust and transparent communication, proving culture can overcome significant technical deficiencies and resource limitations.
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Prince Naseem Hamed: Boxing Spectacle Fueled by Faith and Unconventional Style
Prince Naseem Hamed redefined boxing with showmanship and knockout power, fueled by faith and visualization, proving that true success uplifts communities beyond personal glory.
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Metabolic Drugs, Exercise, and Emotional Health Drive Longevity
Metabolic drugs offer cardiovascular and cognitive benefits beyond weight loss, while resistance training and emotional health are vital "currencies of aging" for functional independence.
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Giving Up Alcohol Enables Life Changes and Mental Health Awareness
Giving up alcohol was the single best decision, unlocking profound life changes and enabling conscious engagement with emotions, rather than seeking transient happiness.
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Lewandowski: Mental Fortitude Drives 70% of Elite Football Performance
Mental fortitude drives 70% of elite performance, forging resilience against modern pressures and enabling sustained success through adversity.
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Micro Habits Drive Extraordinary Results Through Consistent, Imperceptible Actions
Achieve extraordinary results through tiny, consistent actions. Master "world-class basics" to transform your life with minimal effort, proving small changes truly change everything.
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Managing Mind Systems for Resilience and Rational Decision-Making
Master your mind by differentiating your rational "human" from your emotional "chimp" to prevent self-sabotage, build resilience, and achieve peace of mind.
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Honesty, Vulnerability, and Practical Wisdom Drive High Performance Insights
Honesty and vulnerability, not celebrity, drive profound insights. Discover how confronting inner fears and embracing radical truth unlocks true high performance.
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Digital Overload Rewires Brains, But Neuroplasticity Offers Recovery
Digital overload rewires your brain, shrinking attention and storing fat, but neuroplasticity allows you to reclaim focus and well-being through conscious micro-habits and nature immersion.
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Adaptable Communication: Tailoring Messages to Receiver Styles
Adapt your communication to the receiver's needs, not your own preferences. Understanding distinct behavioral styles prevents misunderstandings and fosters deeper connections for greater success.
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Resilience, Self-Mastery, and Passion Fuel Elite Motorsport Performance
True champions transform adversity into building blocks, driven by passion and deep car comprehension, not just accolades or easy wins.
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Data-Driven Recruitment Transforms Liverpool's Competitive Edge
Identify overlooked talent and justify bold signings with objective data, transforming player valuation and securing significant performance advantages.
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Adopted Identities Catalyze Extraordinary Performance and Raise Standards
Adopt an aspirational identity to become a self-fulfilling prophecy, compelling behavior and ambition to align with your chosen persona before external validation arrives.
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Organic Success and Personal Cost of Top Gear's Creative Engine
Top Gear's global success stemmed from "happy accidents" and a permission to play, not a rigid plan, but this organic growth led to burnout and costly personal repercussions.
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Confronting Fear and Embracing Discomfort for High Performance
Transform fear into fuel by articulating it, accepting the uncontrollable, and embracing small challenges to build resilience and unlock peak performance.
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Denise Lewis's Psychological Rituals for Sustained Excellence
Master Olympic psychology: Adopt an alter-ego, perform reset rituals, and embrace stillness to overcome setbacks and unlock peak performance in any challenge.
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Gut Health's Central Role in Mental Well-being and Mood
Gut microbes profoundly influence mental health; consuming three diverse fermented foods daily can improve mood and energy within a week, a tangible path to well-being.
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