Lauren Smith is a professional badminton player who made her Olympic Games debut in Rio 2016 and continues to impress on the world stage. In 2019, she secured the European Games title with Marcus Ellis (mixed doubles) and silver with Chloe Birch (women’s doubles). She will also be representing Team England in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
In this episode, Lauren shares her journey from an average badminton-loving kid to competing on the world stage and what she does to inspire other athletes who might not have the raw talent but have something even better - Work Ethic.
[06:40] Introducing Lauren Smith
[09:10] Most Professional Athletes Were Never That Good as Kids
[11:21] When Your Work Ethic Becomes Your Talent
[12:40] The Bumpy Road at the Beginning of an Athlete’s Career
[16:45] Common Threads Among Elite and Super Elite Athletes
[20:53] The Power of Never Giving Up
[23:05] How to Reconnect With the Lost Joy of Doing What You Love
[28:00] The Link Between Success and Being Dominant in Sports
[31:44] The Role of Confidence in World-class Sport Performance
[34:40] Why You Need to Stop Being Too Hard on Yourself
[37:50] Athletes as Role Models
[40:05] How Athletes Inspire and Uplift Others
[43:27] Give Yourself Credit Because You Deserve It
[47:10] Lauren’s Thoughts on Social Media and Building a Personal Brand
[54:36] The Most Effective Way to Inspire and Motivate Others
[55:19] How Lauren Handles Her Relationship with Her Partner On and Off the Court
[58:30] Things Lauren Does to Switch Off From Badminton
[01:00:50] How Lauren Mentally Prepares For Game Day
[01:03:23] The Reason Why Athletes Are Such Dreadful Mouth Breathers
[01:05:37] The Link Between Stress and Poor Performance
[01:13:58] Lauren’s Go-to Resources For Self-Improvement
Lauren on Instagram
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