The High Performance Podcast

Dame Jess Ennis-Hill is one of Britain’s greatest athletes. A triple world heptathlon champion, European champion and Olympic gold medallist, she reached the absolute peak of her sport.
But behind the medals was a very different story....

We revisit this incredible conversation where Jess reveals what it was like to become Britain’s “Golden girl” ahead of London 2012, carrying the weight of huge public expectations and feeling that anything less than gold would be seen as failure.

She opens up about the injury that cost her an Olympic opportunity, returning to elite competition after becoming a mum, and the challenge of accepting that her body and training had changed.
Jess also explains how sports psychology, visualisation and blocking out the noise helped her perform when the pressure was at its highest, why having the right people around you matters, and why she ultimately believes happiness and balance are at the heart of high performance.

This is the story behind the medals, and what it really took to become an Olympic champion.

XTB 👉 To find out more and make your money work, use code HPP at: https://highpfrmc.com/XTB_HPP_AU

Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've sat down with hundreds of high performers. These are five sentences we've never heard a single one of them say...

"I'll start when I'm ready." "That's just the way I am." "It's not fair." "I've done enough." "I did it on my own." None of them is a character flaw, but each one quietly pulls you away from where you want to be.

From the High Performance archive, Keely Hodgkinson explains why she puts her success down to 90% mindset, in a year when almost nobody believed she'd make the Olympic team. Matthew Syed remembers bombing a talk at Goldman Sachs and then going to Toastmasters every fortnight for three years. Joe Hart talks about England's Euro 2016 exit to Iceland without blaming a soul. Alun Wyn Jones explains why complacency was his biggest fear, and Laura Kenny shows why her story was never a solo effort, starting with setting fire to a jacket potato in Belgium at 18.

Along the way, Damian brings in the research on "if-then" plans that help you follow through, the labels we let others stick on us, why growth mindset might matter less than we've been told, and the difference between harmonious and obsessive passion. Jake questions whether never having "done enough" is healthy at all, and explains why the people who made your life hardest helped shape you too.

Full episodes links for the guests featured:
Keely Hodgkinson https://pod.fo/e/252844
Matthew Syed https://pod.fo/e/164cec
Joe Hart https://pod.fo/e/24b0f2
Alun Wyn Jones https://pod.fo/e/2b6885
Laura Kenny https://pod.fo/e/249586

XTB 👉 To find out more and make your money work, use code HPP at: https://highpfrmc.com/XTB_HPP_AU

Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Linford Christie didn't just race his opponents, he tried to beat them before the gun even fired. The Olympic champion reveals the psychology behind his ruthless approach to the 100m, and the mindset that allowed him to keep pushing when most would have stopped.

Linford reflects on the hunger that drove him to the top despite starting his international career later than most, and why winning Olympic gold in Barcelona felt more like relief than celebration. He also opens up about the pressure of constant scrutiny, the emotional armour he built throughout his career, and the personal cost of never allowing himself to show weakness.

Now in his 60s, Linford shares what he's learned about achievement, vulnerability and finally being able to appreciate what he's accomplished.

XTB 👉 To find out more and make your money work, use code HPP at: https://highpfrmc.com/XTB_HPP_AU

Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robin van Persie captained Arsenal and won the league with Manchester United, but for years he says his hardest opponent was himself.

We re-visit our classic episode with Robin where he talks about the letter he wrote to himself that he didn't believe when he read it back, the childhood friends he let go at 24, the Arsenal exit he'd handle differently and the advice to his son that Jake calls the whole podcast in two minutes.

Our partners in this episode:

AG1 👉 Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packs

XTB 👉 To find out more and make your money work, use code HPP at: https://highpfrmc.com/XTB_HPP_AU

Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most of us are waiting for someone to tell us we're ready. This week, Jake and Damian argue that moment never comes, and that the people we admire most simply stopped waiting.

You'll hear from George Russell on the email to Toto Wolff that started his Mercedes journey, Robin Sharma on why it pays to be "a bit of a pirate", Alain de Botton on why the world is built by humans, not gods, and Adam Grant on the feedback that nearly made him quit public speaking. Francis Ngannou, Shane Parrish and Tom Kerridge unpack what it really means to take full ownership of your life, and Holly Tucker explains why there's never a perfect time to start.

Along the way, Damian brings in the research on self-efficacy, why we underestimate how willing people are to help us, and why amateurs wait for inspiration while professionals just get on with it. Then Dame Amanda Blanc complicates everything: sometimes, all it takes is someone else believing in you first.

Listen to the full episodes:
George Russell https://pod.fo/e/1527c9
Robin Sharma https://pod.fo/e/23512b
Alain de Botton https://pod.fo/e/1f5db0
Adam Grant https://pod.fo/e/1546d4
Francis Ngannou https://pod.fo/e/21a419
Shane Parrish https://pod.fo/e/1ff000
Tom Kerridge https://pod.fo/e/22356e
Holly Tucker https://pod.fo/e/1943f
Dame Amanda Blanc https://pod.fo/e/1419c7

Thanks to our partners:

AG1 👉 Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packs

XTB 👉 To find out more and make your money work, use code HPP at: https://highpfrmc.com/XTB_HPP_AU

Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.