Laura Wilkinson: The Role of Mental Health in Performance and Overcoming Injury

In this episode of the Brawn Body Health and Fitness Podcast, Dan is joined by Olympic Gold medalist Laura Wilkinson to discuss how mental training helped her overcome injuries and the role mental health plays in performance.

Beating what many said were impossible odds in one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history, Laura, starting in eighth place and with a broken foot, came from behind to win the 2000 Olympic platform gold medal. Laura has also won the 2004 World Cup and the 2005 World Championships, becoming the first woman in history to win all three coveted world titles in platform diving. Along the way, she has won 19 US National Titles, been voted by the American public the 2000 US Olympic Spirit Award winner and was nominated for an ESPY award. Laura has also been inducted into five different Halls of Fame including the International Swimming Hall of Fame. People always notice something that sets Laura apart from her competitors, her smile. She smiles during the most pressure packed and fierce competitions, almost like she’s removed from the situation, acknowledging her family and teammates in the stands. Laura explains, “I smile because I love what I do. I make a commitment before the competition to enjoy the experience however it turns out.” Laura attended the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games as a reporter and analyst for NBC. In 2017, following a nine year retirement, Laura returned to competition. After a successful return placing second at US Nationals, Laura underwent a two level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). After a year, Laura again returned to competition just in time for the 2020 Olympics to be postponed a year. She continued training and with only three months of access to platform facilities, at 43 years old and with all four of her kids watching, she was a finalist at the 2021 Olympic Trials. Laura has her own podcast The Pursuit of Gold. Her show seeks to equip athletes with the most effective tools that will help them reach their biggest goals in sport through conversations with elite and Olympic athletes, sports professionals, coaches, and experts. In these conversations, Laura and her guests unlock the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual tools that shape the whole athlete and generate peak performance. She is also an author and mindset coach. Laura wrote a book titled Life at 0 Meters, Lessons from an Olympic Champion, and she recently released The Confidence Journal to help athletes create and maintain a resilient mindset. In addition, Laura created an online course called Confident Competitor to help eliminate performance anxiety and help athletes approach competitions with confidence. Laura is also wife to Eriek Hulseman and mommy to four amazing children by birth and adoption. For more on Laura check out @lala_the_diver

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