The Cost of Winning: Shauna Coxsey opens up about mindset, mental health, motherhood and her time at the top

Shauna Coxsey is one of the most decorated climbers of her generation, but this conversation goes far beyond competition results. We explore her journey through high-performance sport, injury, identity, mental health, and motherhood. Shauna shares her experiences with anxiety, disordered eating, and the often unseen challenges of life as a professional athlete, including supporting her husband through depression, being dropped by her main sponsor and coming back postpartum. It’s an honest and thoughtful conversation about values, positivity, life-philosophy, vulnerability, and what it means to stay true to yourself, on and off the wall.Check out our free mindset workbook and guided reflection here.If you want to join our Thought of the week, follow this linkMental health helpline for your country findahelpine.comTimestamps:00:02:22 - Hazel’s take on some of the themes in the conversation 00:04:27 - Shauna’s climbing beginnings00:08:27 - Choosing the path of a professional athlete00:14:14 - Are you naturally competitive?00:15:39 - Balancing personal motivation in competition00:20:18 - When winning isn’t enough00:26:40 - Shauna's doubts about competition climbing00:28:16 - Injuries and the body’s messages00:32:07 - The Olympic mindset00:38:10 - The tension between performance and well-being00:40:56 - Speaking out about mental health on social media00:51:06 - Shauna and Ned’s story and relationship00:58:24 - Struggles with depression and anxiety and sharing these topics publicly01:05:07 - Managing anxiety today01:11:04 - Mental health perspectives and real life01:20:19 - Eating disorders in climbing01:36:36 - Motherhood01:45:32 - Adidas dropping Shauna