Andy Walshe, Red Bull’s director of high performance, discusses training elite athletes and artists to break barriers. He shares insights from Felix Baumgartner's record-setting jump, highlighting the seven years of preparation needed. Walshe emphasizes mental strategies like mindfulness and stress management, which can enhance performance for everyone. He also explores how technology and data are democratizing personalized training, making elite-level performance accessible to all. The fusion of data science and mindfulness is reshaping how we unlock human potential.
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Fake Bomb Exercise
Andy Walshe describes a training exercise involving a fake bomb.
The bomb makes a loud noise but causes no actual harm.
insights INSIGHT
Limitations of Simulation
Replicating high-pressure scenarios like the Stratos jump is impossible.
Training focuses on developing adaptable skills in unfamiliar, stressful situations.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Managing Stress
Learn to breathe and relax to manage stress response in high-pressure situations.
Practice mindfulness and meditation, using simple techniques like the "five senses trick."
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During his “Stratos” jump Felix Baumgartner fell faster than the speed of sound, reaching an estimated speed of 833.9 mph plummeting from the edge of space. Baumgartner’s return trip to earth lasted just over nine minutes, but there was seven years of preparation that came before the record-setting mission. Equipment had to be tested and pushed beyond its limit, and so did Baumgartner.
It was the task of Red Bull’s director of high performance Andy Walshe to help train Baumgartner physically and psychologically to do what had never been done before. That’s Walshe’s job -- to work with Red Bull’s athletes and artists to get them to places they’ve never been before. Walshe joins the pod, along with a16z’s Jordan Stankowski, to discuss the methods, technologies, and tools he uses to help get people past seemingly unbreakable barriers. The good news is it isn’t just world-class athletes or your favorite pop-star that can benefit from Walshe’s research and work -- it’s all of us.
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