Elisabetta Borgia was the first full time Sports Psychologist for Trek Segafredo, a World Tour Cycling Team. She works with both the men's and women's teams and is a key member of staff. As a former cyclist herself, Elisabetta has a great understanding from both the performance and psychological sides and as you'll hear in this interview, she explains why having balance in your life is key to performing, regardless of what level you are.

You'll hear:

04:00 What is sports psychology?

07:00 Why did Elisabetta go into Sports Psychologist?

09:00 How did she become a full time psychologist with Trek Segafredo and what difference does that make?

12:00 Is it harder mentally to be an elite sports person than it used to be? Athletes need to be more than just winning, they need to be characters. The biggest issue that athletes have is finding balance.

15:00 Why elite athletes have a higher percentage of mental health problems than the normal population.

18:00 Do female and male athletes have different issued that Elisabetta have to deal with? This is fascinating!! She explains why generally, women are more susceptible to burnout.

23:00 Why is balance so important to succeed, at all levels? Our energy tank is limited and we can't always take from it. Being balanced is like having a proper pace and it's under control. 'If you would like to have the peaks, you need to have the valleys." "When you feel balanced, you feel comfortable you feel like there is a good pace, you feel in control."

31:00 How do you deal with training guilt? Elisabetta encourages athletes to understand their feelings. When you feel super guilty you start to judge yourself.

35:00 How do you find mindfulness to come back to the present? "Being mindful is being able to stay in the present." If you have a racing mind, this advice is incredible.

39:00 How does Elisabetta help athletes get over a poor training session or a bad race? "It's about the process and building up confidence. Maybe it hasn't been the perfect process but it's about doing your best on the day. Acceptance is also important." Why it's important to go into a race with a plan and why a debrief is an essential element, and even in the worst performances there is something positive to take from it. What went right, what went wrong, what can be improved?

45:00 How do we deal with pre-race nerves?

52:00 Tips for dealing with post-race blues. Have a plan, know in your mind that it's going to happen and plan a recovery period.

56:00 Does she work with athletes as they come to the end of their careers?

Find out more about this week's guest:

Elisabetta Borgia Instagram

Elisabetta Borgia website

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