Mind Games by Olympic rower Annie Vernon

‘Determination, doubt and lucky socks: an insider’s guide to the psychology of elite athletes’. Read all about Mind Games by Olympic silver medallist and world champion rower Annie Vernon – out now

It’s well known that to reach the top in elite sport, you need to have spent years honing and perfecting your physical ability. However, this is only part of the template required to win – the other half is about mind games.

Throughout her career as one of the world’s top athletes, Annie Vernon struggled with existential questions about the purpose of sport in our comfortable, first-world society: Why do we do it? What is it in our psyche that makes us push ourselves to the limit? What allows us to mentally overcome the physical pain?

Now retired from competition, Olympic silver medallist and world champion rower Annie Vernon has decided to look for answers to these questions. Drawing on her personal experiences and interviews with some of the best coaches, athletes and psychologists from across the world of sport, Annie discovers the secrets of how athletes train their brains in order to become world beaters.

Be sure to get your copy of the upcoming April/May edition of Rowing & Regatta magazine for an exclusive interview with Annie Vernon.