33. Lennie Waite

This episode is an interview with sports psychologist and former professional runner, Lennie Waite.Lennie grew up abroad, where she primarily played soccer. She was recruited to play D1 soccer at Rice University, but after her sophomore year ended up switching to running and became a 2x All-American. She went on to run post-collegiately and represented Great Britain at 3 Commonwealth Games, the World Championships in 2017, and the 2016 Olympic Games in the steeplechase.Lennie did all of this while completing her PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and becoming a Certified Mental Performance Consultant. She currently works with athletes and is also the chief science officer at Hite EQ, while being a mom to her 2 daughters.In this episode, we talk about:What it was like growing up abroad and how different the rhetoric is around food and sportHow being good at a sport from a young age automatically creates pressure and expectations, and how she dealt with thisWhy she decided to pursue soccer instead of running initially in college and what led her to make that shiftHer tips for helping athletes navigate pressure and comparison when it comes to racingWhat she sees athletes struggle with when it comes to fueling as a sports psych and some tips to work through those emotionsIf you would like to learn more about Lennie's and her services as a sports psychologist, you can go to her website HERE.