MTB champion Kate Courtney on being persistent

Mind Set Win is here, the podcast that unlocks the mental tactics used by sports professionals and shows how we can apply them in our daily lives.

“Having got injured at the beginning of the year, everyone said 'she's never gonna come back as good as she was...' and, actually, all of that external noise... It just motivated me.” For Lucy Charles-Barclay, finding motivation has been crucial to her switching lanes from professional swimmer to the world-champion Ironman triathlete she is today. In this episode of Mind Set Win, Lucy impresses host Cédric Dumont with her approach to maintaining motivation levels before Cédric shares some practical tips everybody can utilise in their daily lives.

"Everything made sense. You're not playing with your skill anymore, you're playing with your soul." Achieving flow state has led to some of tennis champion Stefanos Tsitsipas's greatest performances, including his ATP World Tour win. In this episode of Mind Set Win, Stefanos shares with host Cédric Dumont his techniques for getting into the zone. And as Cédric reveals, many of these techniques can be incorporated into our own daily lives through the use of some simple practical exercises.

“There's just an infinite amount of ways to just get better in every single little aspect of what I do. And if I can improve my mental strength just by these little amounts, then it causes huge differences.” Developing a growth mindset has been fundamental to Swedish-American pole vaulter Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis and his journey to becoming Olympic champion and a serial world record breaker. In this episode of Mind Set Win, Mondo speaks openly about his mental approach and, as in every episode of the series, host Cédric Dumont shares practical exercises that can help us all incorporate the same kind of psychological tactic in our daily lives.

"I am what I am. I just be me. People will love me, people will hate me, but at least, you know, I'm confident that I'm giving the best account of myself and not trying to live up to anybody's expectations." Mental fitness has been key to transforming Ben Stokes’s career and the fortune of the England Test Cricket team he captains. In this episode, Ben shares how he learned to talk about his vulnerabilities to overcome struggles with his mental health, turning his career around in the process. Host Cédric Dumont breaks down the fascinating insight before sharing simple exercises that can help us all make gains to our mental fitness.

"If you want to surf, you need to be free like the water, absorbing everything and being able to adapt. Not even thinking, just being." Using self-awareness has allowed big wave surfer Justine Dupont to tackle waves from Nazaré to Belharra and beyond. In this episode of Mind Set Win, Justine shares with host Cédric Dumont her techniques for staying in the present and, as Cédric reveals, many of these techniques can be incorporated into our own daily lives through the use of some simple practical exercises.

"I don't care what people think anymore. I keep following my own way." In a glittering career Mario Gómez was one of the most respected goalscorers in European football, but as he reveals in this episode of Mind Set Win, he needed unwavering levels of self-efficacy to consistently perform when all eyes were on him. Red Bull Soccer’s technical director shares with host Kate Courtney how developing a mindset of fully believing the next chance will always come gave him the confidence to achieve his dreams. And, as Kate reveals, we can incorporate many of these techniques into our own daily lives through the use of some simple, practical exercises.

“Music calms my nerves and gets me in the right mindset. Music has always been there helping me with everything.” After leaping onto the scene as a 13-year-old, snowboarder Marcus Kleveland has achieved a lot, from X Games and World Championship wins to consistently pushing innovation in his sport. Like any athlete, he's done all of this under a great deal of pressure. In this episode of Mind Set Win, Marcus shares with host Cédric Dumont his techniques for combating the negative effects of pressure. And, as Cédric reveals, we can incorporate many of these techniques into our own daily lives through the use of some simple, practical exercises.

"If I set my mind to something, I won’t stop until I achieve it. I’m willing to sacrifice and continue to work long past what everyone else is willing to do in order to achieve my goals.” Over an inspiring 18-year career Lindsey Vonn transcended the sport of alpine skiing. 82 World Cup race wins, Olympic gold and World Championship titles in both the Downhill and Super G disciplines made Lindsey one of the greatest racers of all time, but her career wasn’t without setbacks, and she is also known for an unrelenting grit that allowed her to bounce back from failure and injury alike. In this episode of Mind Set Win, Lindsey shares with host Cédric Dumont just how crucial grit was in helping her achieve her goals, and Cédric then discusses two powerful equations from Lindsey’s favourite book that we can incorporate into our own daily lives.

“The ocean, you cannot control most of it, you can only control what you do and the choices that you make in those moments.” Making split-second decisions are crucial when dealing with the powerful unpredictability of the ocean, and for Italian surfer Leonardo Fioravanti it’s an everyday necessity. In this episode of Mind Set Win, Leonardo takes us into the barrel of a wave with him and shares with host Cédric Dumont how developing the clarity of thought to only control the controllable has helped him become one of the most consistent performers in the world. And, as Cédric reveals, we can incorporate many of these techniques into our own daily lives through the use of some simple, practical exercises.

"I’m going to do everything I can. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. If it’s not, it’s not, but I have to give 120 percent now. 100 percent isn’t enough anymore." Resilience has been instrumental to Mutaz Barshim’s career spent defying gravity. In a high jump career that’s seen him raise the bar by winning three consecutive world titles and Olympic gold, the Qatari has had to bounce back from numerous injuries. In this episode of Mind Set Win, Mutaz shares with host Cédric Dumont his techniques for developing resilience and overcoming adversity. And, as Cédric reveals, we can incorporate many of these techniques into our own daily lives through the use of some simple, practical exercises.

“I was a child with nothing. Everything happened because I was still dreaming." Since first picking up a broken skimboard aged four, Italian kitesurfer Airton Cozzolino has dreamed of travelling the world and riding the best conditions. In this episode of Mind Set Win, the five-time world champion reveals to host Cédric Dumont how dreaming has been crucial to him achieving his goals and turning his visions into reality. Airton also shares the story behind his ultimate dream of winning Red Bull King of the Air. Cédric breaks down the fascinating insight before sharing a practical exercise to help make dreaming a key part of our daily lives.

“My view has always been if you enjoy what you do, you’ll do it that much better.” Over nearly two decades at the forefront of Formula One, Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal and CEO Christian Horner has seen, done and achieved it all many times over. In this episode of Mind Set Win, Christian explains to host Cédric Dumont how building a culture of finding enjoyment in their work and having a pure passion for racing is crucial to the success of the team. He also shares the final message he gave to the team ahead of Max Verstappen’s memorable 2021 World Championship clincher in Abu Dhabi. Cédric breaks down the fascinating insight before sharing a framework to help give us all a better chance of experiencing real satisfaction in our tasks by focusing on being in the moment.

“It’s a rule I have in my life, if you don’t get out of your comfort zone, you’re not creating. And I want to create.” In September 2021 Dario Costa took off for a flight of a lifetime that would push the boundaries of aviation. During his appearance on Mind Set Win, Dario takes us inside the plane with him on the historic 44-second ‘Tunnel Pass’ flight. The Italian shares with host Kate Courtney how he developed the mindset needed to become a pioneering pilot and how avoiding his comfort zone is a rule in his life. Kate listens to Dario’s incredible story before offering advice on how we can all understand and push past our comfort zones.

“If my excitement is too high, my performance goes down. If my excitement isn’t enough, my performance goes down.” The Dakar Rally is one of the world’s toughest motorsport races and a true test of extreme endurance. It’s a race Sam Sunderland has conquered twice on two wheels, and during his appearance on Mind Set Win, the British star reveals the mindset that drove him to victory. Sam explains how learning to control his excitement and energy levels has been crucial to his performance before Cédric provides us with an exercise to help us all discover our optimal zone of functioning, which gives us the greatest chance of accomplishing our goals.

“You need a lot of mental strength to dial your thoughts, as your mind is responsible for how the body reacts.” Being able to refocus and reset quickly has been fundamental to Daniela Ryf’s rise to legendary Ironman status. In this episode of Mind Set Win, the five-time world champion reveals to host Kate Courtney how she’s able to manage her negative thoughts, keep moving forwards and always finish strong. One such moment was when the Swiss star was infamously bitten by a jellyfish seconds before a race was about to begin, an experience she recalls in great detail. After learning about Daniela’s mindset, Kate provides us with a reset routine to help us refocus quickly when dealing with negative thoughts and experiences.

“In a world championship everyone is in their best shape, but they’re also trying to maximise your weaknesses.” In June 2022 Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt crushed a full iron-distance triathlon in under seven hours. No one on the planet has ever completed the gruelling swim, bike and run event quicker. During his appearance on Mind Set Win we uncover how developing and maintaining an open mindset has helped the former Ironman world champion dominate his sport. In the episode hosted by Kate Courtney it’s also revealed what we can all learn from Kristian’s mental flexibility and how he’s able to respond and adjust in the face of both success and failure. Kate offers an exercise based around setting flexible goals which allow for more than one outcome, and explains how it’s a tool that can be applicable in all areas of our lives.

In this episode, Mind Set Win uncovers how patience is essential to our decision-making and achievement of long-term goals. For Konstanze ‘Koko’ Klosterhalfen, being patient has been an integral ingredient to many of her greatest races and performances during her athletic career. Specialising in the 5,000m, learning to hold back, pace herself and wait for the optimal moment to attack has been her winning formula. Host Cédric Dumont outlines why patience is a quality that goes against the grain of modern living, and then offers an exercise, which is also available on RedBull.com, aimed at helping us all develop our levels of patience over time.

When OG Esports made history by winning prestigious Dota 2 tournament, The International, two years in a row, one thing was at the core of their success: trust. At the heart of cultivating this mindset and atmosphere within the team was Sébastien Debs, better known as Ceb. In this episode of Mind Set Win, the French gamer details how they built unbreakable trust, how it set them apart as a team, and how it also benefited his own individual performance. Host Kate Courtney introduces us to the five Cs: compassion, commitment, competency, connection and contribution, and offers an exercise to help us all increase our levels of self-awareness which can lead to strengthened relationships and added trust in the teams we’re part of.

“If you want to be great, you can’t think about what you did in the past, you need to think about the present.” Chris Matthews aka Lethal Shooter is a basketball skills coach to the elite stars of the NBA. During this episode of Mind Set Win, the mastermind of shooting reveals how it was through effective compartmentalisation that he learned to process and harness his emotions to positive effect during his playing career. Now one of the most sought-after skills coaches in the world, it’s a mindset he shares with everyone he works with. After breaking down all of Lethal Shooter’s valuable learnings, host Kate Courtney offers a practical exercise to help us refocus in the moment as well. Based around visualising filing our emotions away into the drawer of a cabinet, ready to be addressed constructively at a later time, it’s a technique to be used when we want to stay in the present and focus on the task at hand.

“You need to find a purpose that will self-motivate you, you don’t need to read the script of somebody else.” Nepalese climber Nimsdai ‘Nims’ Purja has achieved feats many people assumed were impossible. Millions of people have watched his Netflix film, 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible, where he summitted the 14 highest mountains in the world, all over 8,000m, in six months and six days. In this episode of Mind Set Win, Nims uncovers the mindset that powered his climb into the unknown. He explains that a key component to his motivation on the quest was his sense of purpose, and wanting to inspire the world by showing that nothing is impossible. Host Kate Courtney then offers an exercise that leads us all in the right direction of finding our purpose in life by helping us better understand what we’re grateful for and what’s important to us.

“Working to recognise thoughts has been the craziest change in every part of my life.” Learning to understand the inner voices that go through her mind when standing on the cliff edge about to leap from a height of up to 27m has been key to Molly Carlson’s Red Bull Cliff Diving success. In this episode of Mind Set Win, the 24-year-old Canadian takes us up onto the platform with her and explains the mindset techniques she has developed on her way to becoming a leading contender. Host Cédric Dumont explains how the concept of the inner team was developed before offering an exercise to help explain the main characters we may experience in our own inner team, and how we can manage their influence and transformative powers.

“I know that I am not the biggest talent in our sport, but I know that my 100 percent is enough to win.” Austrian rally raid legend Matthias Walkner is a winner of the bike category at the 2018 Dakar Rally. To win the iconic stage race you have to navigate through brutal terrain for days on end and overcome many situations outside of your control. This requires self-efficacy, a powerful asset that helps us approach new and tricky situations believing we can control them. Matthias explains to host Cédric Dumont how even though he doesn’t think he’s the strongest in the field, he believes in his ability to find his optimum level when he needs it most – his “100 percent”. Cédric then looks at the key determining factors of self-efficacy and offers a simple exercise that helps us increase and develop our own levels of it by building a circle of influence.

“I do this evaluation of what is it really? Is it actually just my thoughts or is it the reality around me?” Distinguishing between subjective and objective assessments has helped Austrian paraglider Paul Guschlbauer push himself out of his comfort zone and reach new heights in his sport. Paul’s career revolves around Red Bull X-Alps, a race where competitors hike, run and fly more than 1200km across the biggest mountains in the Alps. When covering brutal terrain and navigating tough conditions, Paul has to consistently evaluate his surroundings to make the right decision that gives him the best opportunity to succeed. And as host Cédric Dumont explains, this is a technique we can all adopt in our daily lives when faced with moments that challenge us. Through incorporating Cédric’s exercise, we can learn how to better make objective decisions.

“When I realised my arm wasn’t ready to win races, that’s when I started to make some realistic goals.” Few athletes can claim to have redefined their sport in the way MotoGP™ rider Marc Márquez has. The eight-time world champion frequently defies the laws of physics with his spectacular and skillful riding style. During his appearance on the Mind Set Win podcast, though, it’s the Spaniard’s mental techniques that are in the spotlight and not his undoubted physical talents. Host Cédric Dumont hears how Marc has used his positive mentality to overcome three “nightmare” seasons of injury battles and get back to doing what he loves best – racing. During these challenging moments, Marc had to set himself new “realistic” goals which would eventually lead to his ultimate goal of winning again. And it’s this process of reverse planning that Cédric explores before providing us with an exercise to take away and use in our own daily life to help with our goal setting and reaching our targets.

“If you don’t know how to lose, if you don’t know what to take from the loss, it’s hard to get better.” Learning how to take positives from your losses is crucial to life on tour as a tennis player. After all, even some of the very best players in the world, like 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, frequently taste defeat. In this episode of Mind Set Win, Matteo explains how he’s developed the mental strength to negotiate moments of disappointment and how taking learnings from defeats is a stepping stone to future success. Host Kate Courtney introduces us to the attribution theory before providing us with an exercise to help us uncover why things didn’t go our way in our daily life. Based around reflecting on a time when we were unsuccessful in something, the exercise offers us action points to adopt moving forwards so we can build a plan for when future opportunities arise.

“We’re there to compete, we’re there to succeed. The best way to achieve that is by being measured, by being controlled, by following our processes.” Within a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, it’s crucial to enter a state of complete concentration. Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner presents a structured approach to stressful situations, which helps to make sure you slip into that focus state easier and quicker. In this episode of Mind Set Win, Christian gives an insight into his personal pre-performance routine as a tool to help improve his focus when he needs it. Following this, host Kate Courtney dives deeper into what makes a pre-performance routine so effective and shows three approaches to developing your own routine. The exercise will help you flesh out pre-performance habits on three levels: physical, mental and verbal, as a way of signalling to your brain that it’s go-time.

“If it’s right, it will start to feel like a family.” Your environment impacts your performance, and having a supportive circle around you helps you to feel a sense of belonging, and also to develop your skills in a motivated and efficient manner. In this episode of Mind Set Win, Freestyle BMX athlete Nikita Ducarroz applies this idea to her own life, and elaborates on how it has helped her evolve and improve throughout her career as an athlete. Host Kate Courtney breaks this asset down into four vital aspects: inclusion, learning, collaborating and questioning, to help you further understand the key points that make up a supportive environment. This week’s exercise helps you to filter out what you need from your environment, and how you can implement this in your daily life.