The High Performance Podcast How Changing Shoes Got Me Gold! Olympic Champion Denise Lewis
Dec 3, 2025
Denise Lewis, the former British heptathlete and Olympic gold medallist, shares pivotal moments from her career. She reveals a dramatic setback at the high jump during the Sydney 2000 Olympics and how changing her shot put shoes became a powerful ritual for mental reset. Lewis emphasizes the importance of acknowledging mistakes and using alter egos for strength. She also reflects on her transition post-competition, discussing personal identity challenges and the value of rest and support from trusted friends.
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Shoe Change That Won Gold
- Denise Lewis changed into shot-put shoes mid-heptathlon and adopted the persona of Astrid Cumberness to reset mentally.
- That ritual propelled her to a powerful shot put and ultimately Olympic gold at Sydney 2000.
Clothes Carry Cognitive Power
- Enclothed cognition shows clothes and items change behaviour by carrying meaning into performance.
- A 2025 meta-analysis confirmed that meaningful apparel reliably alters attention, confidence and action.
Use Rituals To Create Boundaries
- Use small external rituals (e.g., changing clothes or closing your laptop) to mark role transitions and create mental boundaries.
- Treat these acts as punctuation marks to prevent stress from bleeding between roles.
