Olympian Kyle Shewfelt on The Gold Medal Path, Positive Coaching, Body Image, and Mental Health in Gymnastics

This week on the podcast I am so grateful to talk with three-time Olympian Kyle Shewfelt.

Kyle is the 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist on Floor and was the first-ever Canadian gymnast to medal in an event final.

He has had an enormously successful career at the world stage and Olympic stage.

But I wanted to have Kyle on after reading his book where he talks about the many things throughout his career that were extremely important for his success and that are crucial for us to discuss now, in 2021.

Kyle explains how he was able to deal with common things that still affect athletes today, such as mental health concerns, mental blocks, fears, or things that lead to nutrition and body image concerns.

He shares his struggles, what he went through with depression, and how he handled the pressure of getting up through the ranks along with the support of his coach.

We touched on where we’re going in the sport and what we want to see continue to happen with positive coaching to help kids reach their high-level goals, but in a safe and healthy manner. We discuss:

That Olympic medals should be won in an environment that’s collaborative, nurturing, kind and respectful. Not one of fear and control.
Dealing with feelings of burnout as a teenage gymnast and knowing that you are not alone.
The importance of a collaborative coach-athlete relationship.
Kyle’s experience with body image and how he learned to fuel his body for success.
The impact of commentators in our sport.
The benefits from seeing someone for your mental health and what it did for Kyle and his career.

To listen to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, or Stitcher click below:

Olympian Kyle Shewfelt on The Gold Medal Path, Positive Coaching, Body Image, and Mental Health in Gymnastics

Please check out and go buy Kyle’s book to learn more about his amazing career. It’s called make it happen. It’s one of the best reads I’ve ever had. https://www.kyleshewfelt.com/book