How did you get into sport?

Rachel Vickery – Performing under pressure & how your breathing, physiology & state control is directly affecting the performance of the athletes you work with. Sports Physiotherapist & High-Performance Architect in the NBA, NRL, AFL & Military.

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Rachel has worked with elite athletes across many domains through her work as a sports physiotherapist, breathing specialist and her expertise in the field of performing in high pressure environments. Rach has worked with elite performers from the NBA, NRL, AFL, military and corporate to only name a few, but it’s her ability to have recreated her identity time and time again in a profession that rewards staying in once’s lane that is most fascinating. Listen as we dive into the physiology of how athletes and practitioners can better deal with high pressure situations as well as dive into her unique journey from elite gymnast to specialist in improving performance in high pressure environments.  


Highlights from the episode…

  • After representing New Zealand in the commonwealth games and world championships as a Gymnast, she was exposed to some exceptional physiotherapist that inspired her to choose a similar pathway post her athletic career.
  • It was a chance encounter with an athlete with Hyper Ventilation Syndrome that inspired her to pursue a better understanding around breathing it’s affect on performance.
  • How Rach began working with the Golden State Warriors (NBA) and how the same approach led to her being invited to contribute at an event hosted by the Vatican City.
  • With an ever growing cohort of practitioners exploring avenues outside of their siloed profession we discuss how she has been able to transition beyond her title as a physiotherapist into other roles in Business, IT, Breathing, Coaching etc.
  • We have a vulnerable conversation around the challenges Rach had in the early stages of recreating herself beyond her identity as a physio/”breathing lady” and what she did to navigate through this period.
  • Dealing with pressure. “You can’t compartmentalise your physiology! You can compartmentalise your thoughts, but not your physiology!”
  • How to balance having confidence in being an expert of your field but being humble enough in your approach to understand that you are not an expert of their sport.
  • Why breathing is important and how to maximise it to enhance athletic performance both biomechanically and physiologically.
  • What are the elements that define a high pressure situation and what can athletes and practitioners do to train/mask/blunt the negative effects that come with pressure.
  • Rach shares a real-life case study of the breathing and performance under pressure techniques she used with an elite golfer to improve his performance.
  • Specific training modalities to induce a stress response and in turn exercise the techniques around the physiological aspects of arousal state control.
  • In a moment of pressure there are 3 things Rach suggests focusing on 1. Where are you looking? 2. Where are you breathing? and 3. What are you thinking about? 


People mentioned:

  • Paul Hodge: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulwhodges/?originalSubdomain=au
  • Mark Young: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-young-b2aaa520/
  • Wim Hof: https://www.wimhofmethod.com


Rachel Vickery contact details: 

  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelvickery/
  • Website: https://rachelvickery.com/about/
  • Email: [email protected]

Host: Luis Resa

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Thanks for listening and please leave a review. If you would like more information on anything mentioned in this episode simply send me an email.

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How did you get into sport?By Luis Resa