Advertise on podcast: Smarter Better Faster Stronger

Oksana Masters has competed in four different Paralympic sports—rowing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, and cycling—and in every Paralympic Games, summer and winter, going back to 2012. She’s won eight medals along the way. So she knows a thing or two about pushing through pain. A double amputee above the knee, Oksana talks about how she found therapy in sports, the simple counting trick she uses when her self-talk starts going south, and why she approaches races as just another day of training.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kyra Condie is preparing to compete in the first-ever Olympic climbing competition by sharpening a collection of tools that includes everything from opera playlists to visualization to something called the inverted U of optimal functioning. On this episode, she and sports psychologist Dr. Lindsay Shaw unpack how those things help Kyra conquer difficult climbs—and how you can make use of them in your own life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

U.S. distance runner Molly Seidel earned her trip to the Tokyo Summer Games when she finished second in the 2019 Olympic marathon trials—which was also the first marathon she’d ever run. On this episode, Molly talks about wanting to eat the other runners' lunch, how she ran on a broken pelvis for a year, embracing the feeling of being “a pot of water about to boil over," and the lessons that she and her trainer, Jon Green, have learned from training at peak discomfort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In fencing, it’s important to strike fast—but not quite as important as it is to strike true: to have a clear enough head see where your opponent’s baiting you, or what tricks your nerves might be playing on you. U.S. saber fencer Daryl Homer took home a silver medal from the 2016 Olympics because he was able to do just that. On this episode, he shares lessons from two decades of fencing about controlling emotions, the surprising freedom of admitting you’re scared, and other tips for self-mastery he’s bringing to his quest for a Tokyo gold.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WARNING: This episode contains discussion of suicidal ideation. After placing 6th at the 2016 Rio Olympics and later setting a world record by racewalking a mile in 5:31, Tom Bosworth experienced intense self-doubt and depression. On this episode, he talks about the special goal-setting strategy that helped him beat impostor syndrome—and make it to Tokyo this summer. Plus, a dive into the signature racewalking “hip wiggle." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nine years ago, sprinter Carlin Isles stumbled across rugby on the internet and gave it a try. Today, he's the world's fastest rugby player, and the star of a U.S. squad headed to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. On this episode, Isles talks about running down school buses as a kid, ignoring the voice in your head that says you're not good enough, and pushing past your limits. And Isles's coach explains how the man can run so fast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The world's best athletes push relentlessly to be physically and mentally stronger than their competition—Smarter Better Faster Stronger, hosted by GQ writer Clay Skipper, is about the lessons they've learned to create a winning mindset. Lessons about overcoming doubt and fear, handling success, and pushing past comfort zones. You know: advice we could all use. The first episode of Season 1 arrives June 24th. Subscribe everywhere you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices