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4 Athletes Redefining Success Through Mindset and Mental Health
- Mara Sy
- Feb 24
- 3 min read
For years, athletes were conditioned to believe that pushing through everything was strength. Feeling not good enough, hiding anxiety, or tying identity entirely to performance was normalized. Many carried that pressure into adulthood. Some burned out. Some left their sport entirely.
That mindset is evolving. Here are four athletes leading that change in their own words.
1. Simone Biles – Mental Health First
At the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles withdrew from multiple events after experiencing the “twisties,” a dangerous mental block in gymnastics. She later explained her perspective clearly:
“Put mental health first because if you don’t then you’re not going to enjoy your sport and you’re not going to succeed as much as you want to. So it’s okay sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself.”
This was not about stepping away from pressure. It was about sustaining a career. Biles reframed success as something that requires internal stability, not just external results.
2. Alysa Liu – Winning Is Not the Whole Story
After stepping away from figure skating at 16 due to burnout, Alysa Liu returned with a completely different mindset. When she won Olympic gold, her reflection was grounded and direct:
“Winning isn’t all that and neither is losing. It’s just something that happens. It’s the outcome. What matters is the input and the journey. And I would say take a break. I take breaks even now. And I think that’s the way to do it.”
That perspective challenges one of sport’s oldest narratives. Outcomes are temporary. The process is what sustains you. For Liu, breaks are not weakness. They are strategy.
3. Eileen Gu – Discipline Is a Secret Weapon
Eileen Gu’s approach to excellence is rooted in structure and recovery, not obsession with podium color. She has described her “secret weapons” as simple but disciplined:
“My secret weapons are making sure I get enough sleep, eating well and making sure I get my workouts in.”
In a culture that glorifies grind, Gu emphasizes recovery and fundamentals. Sleep, nutrition and routine are not soft priorities. They are performance tools. Her mindset reinforces that mental clarity and physical care are competitive advantages.
4. Alex Eala – Controlling What She Can
Filipina tennis star Alex Eala has consistently pointed to mindset as her greatest asset, especially during high-pressure tournaments. She has emphasized the importance of environment and perspective:
“It’s always important to stay positive; having the right people around you, pushing you to be the best you can be.”
In a sport defined by rankings and razor-thin margins, that outlook matters. During her breakthrough run at the Miami Open, including a tight semifinal against a top-ranked opponent, the result did not overshadow the performance.
Eala’s focus on positivity and support systems highlights something often overlooked in elite sport: mindset is not built alone. It is reinforced by the people around you.
That is where sustainability lives.
The culture of sport is not becoming softer. It is becoming smarter. Athletes are no longer equating suffering with strength. They are prioritizing mental health, strategic rest, sleep, nutrition and emotional regulation as part of elite preparation.
The message is consistent: Winning is not everything. Losing is not identity. The journey, the inputs and the mindset are what last. Of course, medals still carry weight. and records still matter. But the modern athlete understands something essential: without mental health, there is no longevity. Without joy, there is no fulfillment. Without recovery, there is no peak performance.
