In this exciting episode, Rachel reconnects with her childhood friend and now Olympic champion, Grace Prendergast, for a second enlightening conversation. Together, they delve into the world of habit-building for excellence, explore the intricacies of working with your own mindset, and uncover the transformative power of self-awareness.

Tune in as Rachel and Grace share invaluable insights and personal anecdotes that shed light on how to cultivate habits that drive excellence, harness the potential of your own mind, and gain a deeper understanding of yourself. Whether you're striving for success in sports, career, or life in general, this episode promises to provide you with actionable wisdom that can help you achieve your goals and unlock your true potential.

Have you ever sturggled in your role as a coach? This episode can help with that. 

On today's episode, Rachel sat down with World cup winning Coach Shane McLeod. With a distinguished title like "World Coach of the Year" and an Olympic triumph as the coach of the Belgian Men's Hockey Team, Shane's expertise is clear.

In this conversation, Shane shares his profound insights on cultivating a winning mindset, empowering athletes to reach their full potential, and the key elements behind building a world-class team culture.

"A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life."

- John Wooden

Dave Wood trains some of the most elite athletes in the world in the art of mastering the mind to enable performance. Some of the athletes he works with include renowned UFC fighter, Israel Adaysanya, professional rugby players and the New Zealand America's cup team. In this episode he imparts invaluable wisdom on navigating pressure and maintaining composure when confronted with discomforting circumstances. He delves into the significance of body awareness and control, illuminating how these elements empower athletes to conquer mental obstacles and actualize their aspirations.

Throughout the episode, Dave generously shares practical tips and strategies that transcend the realm of sports, offering applicable insights for individuals from all walks of life. Whether you're an athlete or not, you'll discover how to cultivate a winning mindset, effectively manage stress and anxiety, and sustain unwavering focus and concentration, even amidst the most demanding moments.

Our featured guest in this episode is Saxon Conner, an esteemed HPB Surgeon at Christchurch Hospital in New Zealand with extensive experience in the medical field. Saxon's years of experience have given him a wealth of knowledge on high-performance, working under pressure, and building high-performing teams.

In this episode, Saxon provides valuable insights on how to create high-performing teams, based on his experiences and expertise gained in the surgical theatre. He also shares his valuable insights on working under pressure and dealing with challenging events such as the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, offering a unique perspective that can be applied to sports performance and beyond.

Topics covered: - Performing under pressure.  - Solving complex problems.  - Developing high performance teams.  - Managing mistakes and mindset mastery. 

Our featured guest in this episode is Saxon Conner, an esteemed HPB Surgeon at Christchurch Hospital in New Zealand with extensive experience in the medical field. Saxon's years of experience have given him a wealth of knowledge on high-performance, working under pressure, and building high-performing teams.

In this episode, Saxon provides valuable insights on how to create high-performing teams, based on his experiences and expertise gained in the surgical theatre. He also shares his valuable insights on working under pressure and dealing with challenging events such as the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, offering a unique perspective that can be applied to sports performance and beyond.

Topics covered:
- Performing under pressure. 
- Solving complex problems. 
- Developing high performance teams. 
- Managing mistakes and mindset mastery. 

Sam Dakin, Olympic cyclist and business entrepreneur, joins Rachel for an incredibly honest chat around wellbeing, mental health, success and performing under pressure.

Sam speaks about his struggles with OCD and how it has changed his perspective on sport and life. An episode you dont want to miss if you are a young athlete or someone wanting to learn more about entrepreneurship.

• Topics covered:
• Success and identity formation
• Building a successful culture and how to influence it
• Mental health
• Entrepeneurship

Do you have fear when you step out onto the sports field? Are you free? Do you want to be?

In this episode Rachel speaks with Clinical Psychologist and performance expert, David Gilbraith on how to have more authentic sports performances.

Episode topics include:

• Working with fear
• Identity
• Mindset training and interventions

An episode that will have you thinking once you listen. 

Silver Fern, Karin Burger moved from South Africa to New Zealand at the age of 18. Leaving her family behind to pursue a dream in professional netball. A decade on, she is now a world champion and an important part of the Silver Ferns. 

In this podcast we talk about mindset and values. Exploring how to live an authentic life both inside and outside of sport. 

In this podcast with Olympic gold medalist, Tyla Nathan Wong we discuss:

• How to challenge limiting beliefs
• Letting go of perfectionism in order to perform
• Cultivating a performance mindset
• Working with failure in a wholesome way.

Recorded last year, before Tyla added gold to her Olympic silver medal. (Apologies for the late upload, the concussion stalled things!)

"A champion is willing to admit their faults, be open, be vulnerable, someone that shares their knowledge."

-Tyla Nathan Wong 

In this episode Rachel welcomes All Black Ardie Savea onto The happy athlete podcast. Ardie is one of the top players in world rugby, he continues to make his mark on the rugby field but what is so incredible about him is the mark he is making off the field.  

In this wide ranging and honest conversation we spoke about Ardie's mindset of coming off the bench, how his faith has played a role in his sport and what it means to have a message he wants to share. We also discuss mental skills, vulnerability and how his faith has impacted his rugby. 

We connected over a mutual desire to help others become their best and live happier lives. We deep dive into spirituality, its role in sports performance and how to feel enough as a human.