Redefining Mental Toughness

Mental toughness is one of the most talked about—and most misunderstood—concepts in sport.

What people often think it means is not having feelings. No anxiety, no fear, no doubt. Just pushing through, unaffected.

But that’s not how it works.

Mental toughness isn’t the absence of those experiences—it’s the ability to cope with them. It’s doing it with fear. It’s performing with pressure. It’s responding to those internal experiences in a way that actually supports your goals.

Because the reality is, athletes are human. You’re going to feel things. The question isn’t whether those experiences show up—it’s what you do when they do.

And that’s where this connects to something else I see all the time: identity and burnout.

If you’re no longer having fun, I have questions. Are you doing this because you enjoy it? Or because you once said you would? Or because this is the thing that makes you feel valuable?

It’s very easy to lose sight of why you started and get stuck in a grind that slowly burns you out.

The athletes who sustain high performance over time aren’t the ones who ignore their internal world—they’re the ones who understand it.

This episode breaks down what mental toughness actually looks like—and how redefining it can change both performance and your relationship with your sport.

“No pain, plenty gain: Debunking Pain Glorification with Dr. Kim Hollingdale” - Feisty Women’s Performance streaming on Spotify