Episode Details

The highest levels of physical performance require the utmost mental and emotional strength. To achieve the impossible, we must first believe that the impossible can be achieved if we only put our minds - and our bodies - to the test. Jessie Graff is an American Ninja Warrior, a stuntwoman, a martial arts expert and an inspiration to all those who seek to defy physics and elite performance.

Jessie joins host Fran Racioppi to share her leadership lessons on competition, the mental approach to negotiating complex problems, combatting failure through expectation management and how every setback is an opportunity to grow. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website.

Highlights:

-Jessie describes how her affection for flying, love for the freedom of weightlessness, and the open air has been a driving force in her career and decision-making.

-Effective training is guided by purpose, but clarity of purpose is not required to generate positive results.

-Jessie explains how preparation and planning for the unknowns is the key to handling the uncontrollables. We cannot control all aspects of a competition but we can control how we prepare and how we react. 

-Fran and Jessie discuss effective ways to handle the pressure of the moment when all eyes are on us to perform. Jessie explains her ability to focus on the details of the task at hand vs the noise around her when in the spotlight. 

-No stranger to injury, Jessie is one of the most resiliency and adaptive competitors. She provides a glimpse into her mental approach to recovery from injury, how she focuses on expectations, ad her focus on small victories.  

-Jessie shares how her love for learning, exploring new skills, and building new capability has helped her through injury, become a better strength trainer herself, and learn sign language during “Signing Sundays.”

Quotes:

-”I’m willing to do the work if it gets me to this amazing goal.” 

-”Th