"What would you have been if you hadn't made it in sports?"

It's a question as old as the hills and most of the people who HAVE made it in sports have probably been asked it at some point.

A generation ago you'd have to wait until someone hung up their boots, bat, spikes or racquet to find out how they would fill the sporting void in their lives.

Not any more.

Nowadays athletes proactively build businesses, evolve into entrepreneurs and diversify in areas like fashion or entertainment. Some find purpose by leaning into social responsibility and activism.

It's not unusual now for athletes to have a second or even third career, and those careers don't wait until their sporting life has wound down.

One of the joys of working with our athletes is the initial discovery phase where we dive into what energises them away from their sport.

Take the 4CAST roster, led by founders Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer. Their involvement in the athlete-led VC firm The Players Fund and their passion for pursuits as varied as tech, gaming, golf and animal welfare... well, it makes them even more fascinating.

Those off-pitch interests often generate the best stories - they're authentic and bring out the players' personalities. And we share those stories about life beyond sport on The Athlete's Voice app, the digital HQ for the 4CAST roster.