David Paynter: My Worst Year Was My Best Year

Times of struggle are familiar to all of us. Moments where we're unsure of how we'll make it out the other side, that are difficult and dark are moments we all have in common. Sometimes they come upon us from out of nowhere and other times we bring them upon ourselves. Regardless of how they come about, they all have the potential to be better than we could ever imagine. David Paynter's worst year of his life turned out to be the best year of his life. David Paynter is a highly entrepreneurial, former professional cricketer who faced some of the world’s best players in his career, including the likes of the legendary English paceman James Anderson. And it was Paynter’s competitive playing experience that inspired him for what was to come next after he hung up his bat and boots. He recognised that there was an opportunity for a footwear revolution in cricket, based on those years of experience wearing product that failed to put the performance needs of the athlete first. The result? The PAYNTR brand, which was born in 2017, providing a game-enhancing footwear platform for the best players in the game, including the likes of global superstar Rashid Khan. While success in cricket was rapid, and the brand grew across Europe, India, the Middle East and Australasia, Paynter was also convinced that other sports could benefit from a similar approach. In April 2019, he reached out to Mike Forsey, a golf footwear innovation specialist with more than 30 years’ footwear design experience behind him, working with elite athletes at Nike, FootJoy and Under Armour. Nearly two years later, PAYNTR Golf was launched, and the X 001 F golf shoe came to market globally on March 1, 2021. The shoe fuses together a series of contrasting elements to allow golfers to optimize and harness the power in their swing – what PAYNTR labels the Performance Multiplied innovation ethos. Force x Velocity = Power. The PAYNTR brand will always have its roots in cricket, thanks in part to David’s Great Grandfather Eddie who played a starring role in the iconic Bodyline Ashes tour of Australia in 1932/33. Refusing to be downed by a severe bout of tonsilitis, Eddie climbed off a Brisbane hospital bed and helped England to victory, hitting the winning runs to win the Ashes. The PAYNTR brand is based in Leeds in the county of Yorkshire, England, with a US office in Portland, Oregon and an Indian office in Delhi. In this episode, David discusses the impact that his darkest year had on him and how it made him into the person he is today.