Fear is evident in every sport and affects athletes and performers differently. From overthinking to strong physiological responses in an athlete’s body.  Decision making is then naturally impeded, impacting performance levels.

In today’s episode an inspirational Olympian, Dan Steele offers insights into how he dealt with an accident whilst competing in bobsleigh and then managed to head back up the mountain to compete again despite losing control of his thoughts and having serious doubts and fears about dying.   David Charlton then goes on to share a strategy that you can use to reduce any physiological responses that you have to fear and quieten your mind in the process too.

Key Takeaways include:

• Death often crossed your mind in bobsleigh as it was like riding a crazy rollercoaster.
• All athletes get scared; fear is unavoidable and part of sport and life.
• Fear has an essential role to play in our survival. 
• When frightened or scared an athletes breathing is likely to increase, as does their heart rate, peripheral blood vessels in the skin constrict, whereas central blood vessels around vital organs dilate to flood them with oxygen and nutrients.  Muscles are pumped with blood and can become tighter too impacting on motor skills.

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Relevant Podcast Episodes To Help You Cope Better With Fear

Ep017: Gio Valiante – How to Play Fearless Golf

Ep115: Jeremy Snape – Mental Strength to Succeed: Learning Lessons from International Cricket

Ep142: Alessia Bruno – Is Striving for Perfection a Good Thing in Gymnastics?

Ep148: Derek Tate – How to Build Your Mental Toughness Through Skiing

Ep222: Ruth Chiles - How To Help Athletes Who Freeze Under Pressure #BITESIZE

Other Relevant Blogs And Resources To Help You Reduce Your Fear Responses

Blog: 9 Tips for Children from Olympians

Blog: How To Play Well When You Aren’t Feeling Great

Blog: Does Your Warm Up Influence How You Perform?

Blog: Using ACT and Mindfulness to Improve Your Sporting Performances

Blog: Why You Should Meditate To Improve Your Sport Performance?

Guided Mindfulness Meditation Practices with Jon Kabat-Zinn

Attunement Repair Exercise