Mind Games: Determination, Doubt and Lucky Socks: An Insider's Guide to the Psychology of Elite Athletes, Hardcover

A fascinating insight into the psychology behind elite-level sports.

Mind Games discusses concepts used in sports psychology in a way that is understandable to the watching public, sports fans, and sports-haters alike. Annie Vernon draws on her own experiences as an Olympic medalist, interviews with a wide range of people from other sports, and input from experts to answer the question: What is it about our psyche that makes pushing the mind and body to their limits such a basic human desire?

Annie speaks to athletes from a broad spectrum of sports around the globe, including basketball's Shane Battier and John Starks, NFL star Ryan Fitzpatrick, fencer Tim Morehouse, and baseball's Craig Breslow and Tino Martinez, tennis's Judy Murray, polar explorer Ben Saunders, triathlete Chrissie Wellington, skeleton-bob star Lizzy Yarnold, runner Jo Pavey and sailor Ben Ainslie, along with coaches and sports psychologists from both Olympic sports and their professional equivalents.

Whether it be performing under pressure, coping with nerves, teamwork, or building self-belief in the face of adversity, the methods that elite sports-people use are also relevant to everyday life. But sports psychology is still regarded as something of a mystery. How exactly do elite sports performers harness the power of their mind in pursuit of physical perfection?

After looking closely at areas such as motivation, competitiveness, gender, and teamwork, Annie Vernon uncovers the underlying psychological principles behind the sports that everyone enjoys.

Annie Vernon is a former Olympic rower. She was a full-time athlete for eight years and in that time competed in six World Championships and two Olympic Games. She won gold at the 2007 and 2010 World Championships and silver at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Annie retired from elite sport in 2012 and is now a sports journalist and corporate speaker, regularly contributing to BBC Sport, The Times, Guardian, Sunday Times and Rowing & Regatta. She lives in Cornwall.