Physical toughness will only get you so far. Learning to build resilience and mental strength in the face of overwhelming challenges is something everyone can benefit from.

This episode's guest is Angela Lee Pucci, mixed martial artist, and world champion. She competed in the Adamweight and Strawweight divisions of one championship where she was the inaugural one Adamweight world champion. Undefeated at Adamweight, she has successfully defended the belt five times before vacating the title when she retired from the sport in September 2023. She still holds the record for longest championship reign in one history at more than seven years

In this episode, Angela and I discuss:

• Why mental health is just as important as physical health.
• The reasons why losing weight is challenging for athletes too.
• How martial arts can shape your character and help you overcome challenges.
• What it takes to succeed as a female in a male-dominated sport.
• How to bounce back from your lowest, darkest moments.

00:00:00 - The Journey of Success
00:03:05 - Getting Started in Martial Arts
00:06:27 - Training Camp Challenges in Combat Sports
00:09:49 - Gender Equality
00:13:04 - The Inner Thoughts of an Athlete
00:16:06 - Battling Inner Challenges
00:19:19 - Turbulent Relationship with Food
00:22:32 - Intense Training and Under-Eating
00:25:53 - The Struggle to Make Weight
00:32:28 - The Comeback after the Car Crash
00:36:03 - Mental Health in High-Risk Sports
00:39:13 - Neurology and Sleep Physiology in Coaching
00:45:42 - Fight Story: Mental Wellness in Combat Sports
00:48:49 - Building a Community for Combat Sports Fighters
 

Links and Resources:

Fight Story - https://fightstory.org/
Angela on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/angelaleemma/

Sponsor:
Regenerate, rebuild, recover while you sleep with CortiSleep
https://fixyoursleep.org/

For the visual learners, come on over to YouTube for long form brain health related content  https://www.youtube.com/@LouisaNicola

Want to ask me a question? You can ask me anything I have covered on this podcast, go to : https://dexa.ai/louisa

The NACC course has certified over 500 coaches now. This is the state of the art human performance coaching company lead by a team of experts. Learn more about the NACC: https://www.neuroathletics.com.au/nacc

The Neuro Athletics Newsletter
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The Neuro Experience Podcast is proud to have hosted: Dr Andrew Huberman, Dr Gabrielle Lyon, Dr Layne Norton, Thomas DeLauer, Shawn Stevenson, Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen, Saad Alam, Uma Naidoo, Dr. Lanna Cheuck, Angela Lee Pucci, Jillian Turecki, Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum, Dr. Darren Candow, Dr. Sue Varma, Evy Poumpouras, Dr Casey Means, Renee Deehan, Dr Chris Palmer, Dr Charles Brenner, Dr Joe Zundell, Dr Ray Dorsy, Dr Dale Bredeson, Dr. Ben Bikman