Episode 125: Why do some athletes choke on the world's biggest stage?

Hillary is back from her recent travels, Corrine shares some upcoming race decisions, and then they dive into the topic of the day: Why some athletes are “clutch” on the world’s biggest stages, while others “choke”—and what the rest of us can learn from those moments. Corrine and Hillary explore the science of performance under pressure—from Olympic heartbreak to gold-medal breakthroughs. They break down the neuroscience of choking, why overthinking sabotages performance, and the psychological tools athletes can use to re-set mid-race. They also highlight Olympic champion Alysa Liu’s joy-first approach to sport and what endurance athletes can learn from it. You'll hear: What “choking” actually means in sports psychology Why pressure can disrupt automatic skills The neuroscience behind overthinking during competition The role of embarrassment and identity in athletic performance Why “just treat it like another race” rarely works Practical tools to re-set your brain mid-race Self-determination theory: autonomy, competence, and community Why joy and intrinsic motivation can unlock peak performance From the pointy end of performance to mid-pack athletes, If you’ve ever panicked under pressure or struggled with self-doubt, you'll understand. This episode is sponsored by: rabbit: If you're looking to treat yourself after the holidays or upgrade your winter running kit, head to and use code TSMARCH in March for 10% off. ProBio: Use code Trail20 for 20%-off orders (30%-off + free shipping w/ subscriptions) at probionutrition.com Support our Partners: Injinji: use code Trailrun15 to get 15% off at ProBio: Use code Trail20 for 20%-off orders (30%-off + free shipping w/ subscriptions) at rabbit: Visit use code: APRILTRAIL for 10% off.

You can listen to Episode 125: Why do some athletes choke on the world's biggest stage? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Episode 125: Why do some athletes choke on the world's biggest stage? is an episode from Trail Society by Keely Henninger.

This episode is 01:08:12 long.

This episode was published on Mar 17, 2026.

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