Finding your physical and mental limits: Is it nature or nurture? Emily Cowper-Coles

Simon Ward, The High Performance Human Triathlon Podcast

When I first started working in elite sport I believed that not only did the best athletes have natural talent and a good work ethic, but that they also had a life which was completely under control. From the outside looking in, many armchair fans think that elite athletes, in any sport, have it all.

Nothing could be further from the truth, as you'll hear in this week's podcast. It's a very open and honest conversation with elite female fell runner, Emily Cowper-Coles. During the chat we explore:

• Whether a person's ability to push themselves to their physical and mental limit is nature or nurture
• The domino effects of a sudden traumatic family death when she was 13
• Dealing with chronic stress fatigue, and why it's a mental and physical illness
• How and why to seek help early, and be kind to yourself
• Learning through mistakes and experience
• The benefits of yoga for relaxation
• Competing at a national level as a fell runner, and setting records
• Why the athletes who can perform to their potential are the ones balancing everything sustainably

I hope that you find this conversation as inspiring as I did. If you or anyone you know is affected by any of the issues we discuss, please check out the links below to seek help or guidance. Red Cross - If you are lonely or want to be kind to yourself Young Minds - Fighting for young peoples mental health Assist Trauma Care - If you are the victim of a traumatic bereavement If you want to find out more about Emily and her adventures, please check out these links: Facebook - 3 wheeling cycle 3 women, 3 peaks, 1 world record Emily’s 3 peaks solo record attempt If you’d like to help with Emily’s fundraising this is her JustGiving page. Favourite Motivational Songs Coldplay - Sky full of stars Self esteem boost: The Greatest Showman - This is Me! Favourite Book - Make Your Bed - Admiral William McRaven To contact Beth regarding Life Coaching, please email her at [e-mail]. To leave a review of the podcast on Apple podcasts CLICK HERE. Sports Nutrition questions - if you have a sports nutrition question that you would like answered on the podcast, please email it to me via [e-mail].

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here. For any questions please email [e-mail].