Eighty Percent Mental

If you haven’t seen Netflix’s Physical 100, then you’re missing out! One hundred contestants in top physical shape compete in a series of gruelling challenges to claim the honour – and cash prize – as the last one standing. The challenges required strength, skill, stamina, but also a tremendous amount of mental effort. For this special episode, Dr Pete Olusoga managed to grab an interview with one of the contestants, the one and only Miracle Nelson, about his mental approach to the competition, and his journey form Nigerian dance competitions to Korean Netflix shows! 

• Follow Miracle on Instagram: @itz_mkay 

In this episode, Dr Pete Olusoga explores the Psychology of The Student Athlete. How do high-school, college, and university students balance studying with sports while trying to make it as an athlete, pursue excellence in academics, all while going through a pretty intense period of personal growth and self-discovery? 

To find out, Pete talks with Dr Duncan Simpson, Director of Personal Development at IMG Academy in Florida, Coach Weylu Chang, head of boys' tennis at the Academy, and Atakhan Karahan, up-and-coming tennis star from Turkey and IMG student-athlete. 

• Dr Duncan Simpson on Twitter: @SportPsychDunc 

In this episode of the #EIghtyPercentMental podcast, Dr Pete Olusoga talks with International Weightlifter and multiple British record holder, Jenny Tong about the Psychology of Strength. Just a great conversation about identity, motivation, confidence, and whether toilet paper should go over or under.  

Jenny Tong is a GB International Weightlifter, multiple British record holder and BWL Pathway and National Youth Coach. She also has Master's degree in Law from York University, works as a Pathway Coach, runs Sheffield’s award-winning weightlifting club, and is Non-executive Director for Athlete Experience at British Weightlifting.

• Jenny Tong on Twitter: @JennyT_811 

There is a long history of sports leading the way on a number of different social issues. For decades, our sporting heroes have been torn down, vilified, and ostracised for standing up for what they believe in and fighting for issues that go beyond the sports arena. While some people were supportive when Gary Lineker spoke out about the government’s asylum policy in 2023, others were quick to roll out the old trope that sport and politics don’t mix. But sport and politics do mix. So the conversation about sport and social justice is an important one.  

In this episode of EightyPercentMental, Dr Pete Olusoga talks with Amna Abudllatif and Shaista Aziz, two-thirds of the award winning Three Hijabis who launched a petition last year in the wake of the Euro finals to ban racists from football. Also joining the conversation about the importance and the power of sport in social change is Lecturer and researcher in Exercise Physiology and Strength & Conditioning, Dr John Fernandes, who is well known for his anti-discrimination work in academia and sport.  

• Amna Abdullatif on Twitter: @AmnaAbdul1983 

Success and winning are often thought of as synonymous, but if you’re not first, does that really make you last? We live in a society that is constantly trying to sell us a very specific version of what success should look like and in this fascinating episode of EightyPercentMental, Dr Pete Olusoga is joined by Olympic rower, author, and speaker, Cath Bishop, world-leading trampoline coach, Paul Greaves, and Sport & Exercise Scientist, Sidd Sampla, to explore what success really means and how we can start to think about success differently in a world where results really do matter. 

Cath Bishop is an Olympic rower, former British diplomat in the Foreign Office, now a leadership and culture coach working in organisations inside and outside sport, and author of ‘The Long Win: The Search for a Better Way to Succeed’,

Paul Greaves is a world leading Trampoline coach with a career spanning over 20 years. He has produced athletes to represent Great Britain on the world stage, including the current World and European Champion and Double Olympic Medallist Bryony Page.

Siddarth Sampla is a BASES Sport & Exercise Scientist specialising in Psychology. Currently working within motorsport at Izone Peformance (based at Silverstone) supporting drivers with the mental side of the sport

• Cath Bishop on Twitter: @thecathbishop

What a special episode this is! Dr Pete Olusoga is joined for a fascinating conversation on the psychology of performance by the queen of British soul, Beverley Knight, MBE. An award winning recording artist and musical theatre actress, Beverley Knight has been a mainstay of British and world music scene for over two decades and offers some intriguing insights into the world of performance. Also appearing in this episode, and bringing a psychological perspective is Dr Kaori Araki, chief Sport and performance psychology consultant at CORAZON Co., Ltd. Kaori is a retired professor and taught sport psychology in Singapore and Japan for 18 years, and worked alongside Eddie Jones during Japan’s infamous 2015 Rugby World Cup run. This one was such a pleasure to record and hopefully you’ll enjoy listening! 

• Beverley Knight on Twitter: @Beverleyknight 

The stars are out as Dr Pete Olusoga explores the psychology of stage and screen with the wonderful British actor (and Coronation Street veteran), Shobna Gulati. Joining them is Psychologist and Lecturer at Lancaster University, Dr David Tod, for a fascinating conversation about the psychology of acting. What are the mental processes involved in preparing for and taking on an acting role? How can performers manage the intense scrutiny that goes with their jobs? Find out, in this brilliant episode of EightyPercentMental. 

• Shobna Gulati on Twitter: @ShobnaGulati 

Eighty Percent Mental host, Dr Pete Olusoga, attended the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) Annual Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. As well as winning an award for Distinguished Public Communication, Outreach, and Awareness for producing this very podcast, Dr Pete spent time talking with conference attendees, including the one and only Professor Bob Weinberg (of Weinberg & Gould fame!), about the latest research, techniques, and approaches in the world of sport and performance psychology. Also featuring in this episode: Duncan Simpson, Director of Personal Development at IMG Academy, Dr Amber Shipherd from Texas A&M University Kingsville, Dr Adam Naylor, Leader of Performance Psychology at Deloitte, and a bunch of other amazing people! 

• Duncan Simpson on Twitter: @SportPsychDunc

Continuing the mission to explore the psychological aspects of performance, Eighty Percent Mental host Dr Pete Olusoga explores ‘The psychology of... Speed’ with two-time World Superbikes Champion, James Toseland. Also featuring Sport Psychologist, Shameema Yousuf, this episode explores the motivation, the risk, the psychological skills involved in going really, really fast! 

• James Toseland on Twitter: @JamesMToseland 

In this episode of EightyPercentMental, Dr Pete Olusoga gets to grips with ‘The Psychology of... Dance’ with Kit Holder, First Soloist with Birmingham Royal Ballet and Dr Sanna Nordin-Bates, Associate professor in sport psychology, at the Swedish School of Sport & Health Sciences in Stockholm. What are the mental challenges involved in such a creative art form? Find out in this inspiring episode of EightyPercentMental. 

Kit Holder has been a professional ballet dancer for over 20 years, touring throughout the UK and internationally. He has also choreographed professionally and holds a Master's Degree in Choreography. In additional to his work in dance he is now in the final year of an undergraduate degree in Psychology. 

Dr Sanna Nordin-Bates is a Chartered psychologist with the British Psychological Society, teaches performance psychology to athletes and coaches, dancers and teachers, and is a world-leading authority on the psychology of dance 

• Kit Holder on Twitter: @KitHolder 

• Check out Sanna’s new book: https://us.humankinetics.com/collections/vendors?q=Sanna%20Nordin-Bates