EP8: Mental Toughness in Sports & Music with Jewel and IndyCar driver David Malukas
from the cutting room floor:
True story; I wanted to be Jewel (the singer/songwriter) when I was growing up. I had actually read a magazine article with her a couple years ago and kept it because I made the personal declaration I WAS going to interview her one day. I never thought that would happen at the Indy 500. Besides her magical pipes, Jewel is so passionate about mental health awareness and her new platform to help people get access to the mental health assistance they need. So we decided to pair her with one of the drivers in the Indy500 field who is open about his consistent work with his own mental coach and how it helps him with racing. David Malukas and Jewel made so many connections and shared so many behind the scenes stories about overcoming adversity brough on by anxiety but they also offered one another welcome feedback and pointed out techniques they use to thrive when the stakes get highest on the stage and the racetrack.
Sidebar, the next day, I listened to Jewel sing the National Anthem at the Indy500 and I swear angels flew out of her mouth when she opened it. And… in the time since this convo, David has switched raceteams and is now part of the renowned raceteam Arrow McLaren. Looking forward to what both of these stars do in the near future!
Podcast show notes:
On the eve of the Indy 500 Lindsay sits down with singer/songwriter Jewel and IndyCar driver David Malukas to talk about how mental health plays into being the best on the racetrack and the stage. Jewel talks about her new company devoted to mental wellness - Innerworld - while she and David connect and share experiences of their own journeys in the worlds of music and sports.
episode breakdown:
[00:00:00] Intro
[00:03:03] The importance of mental health in sports and performance
[00:04:19] Managing nerves and pressure in performance
[00:07:51] Curating thoughts and feelings to manage anxiety
[00:08:32] The importance of discipline and positive thoughts
[00:09:20] Learning to filter feedback and maturing in the public eye
[00:15:04] Preparing mentally for the Indy 500 race
[00:16:20] Inner World
[00:18:02] Access to Mental Health Care
[00:21:08] Mindfulness and Behavioral Tools
[00:22:16] Closing
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