What if some of the limits you believe about yourself were never really yours to begin with?
This week on The Giddy Up Edge, Michellie sits down with Australian Paralympian, psychologist, former elite equestrian, author, and para-triathlete Kate Naess for a powerful conversation about resilience, identity, performance, and learning to play the hand you’re dealt.
Born with a limb difference, Kate grew up learning to adapt, problem-solve, and challenge other people’s assumptions about what she could do. That mindset eventually took her from competing internationally in para dressage to an entirely new sport — triathlon — and ultimately to representing Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.
Kate opens up about the influence of her parents, her connection with horses, losing her mum, mental health struggles, learning to run when she once believed she couldn’t, and the internal narratives that can either expand or limit what we believe is possible.
We also dive into the psychology of high performance: self-talk, limiting beliefs, expectations, emotional flexibility, celebrating other people’s success, and why the moments that matter most aren’t always the ones that come with a medal.
Kate also shares the story behind her new book, The Hand You’re Dealt, and what she hopes people take from it when navigating their own uncertainty, setbacks, or self-doubt.
This is a conversation about more than sport. It’s about perspective, possibility, and recognizing the “gold medal moments” that happen along the way.
Giddy Up.
You can reach Kate via her website https://katenaess.com/
If you want to reach out to Michellie Jones you can find her at https://giddyupmultisports.com/ for coaching, camps, and tools.
Evan Gruda can be found on instagram @GrudaGoesGlobal
Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.