Podcast 168: World Long Jump Champion Malaika Mihambo on Overcoming Self Doubt

This week’s guest on the WHOOP Podcast is Malaika Mihambo, the reigning world and Olympic champion in long jump.

Malaika Mihambo has been named the German Sportswoman of the Year for the last three years, the first person to earn that honor for three consecutive years since tennis legend Steffi Graf. She is also the current European and world champion in long jump. Malaika speaks openly about the self-doubt she experienced leading up to the Tokyo Olympics, and details how writing in her journal and using mindfulness practices helped her overcome the anxiety she felt prior to the competition. She talks in-depth about the approaches she has taken to lead her to the top of the track and field world, and explains why she focuses more on the process instead of the results. The WHOOP App is now fully translated into German, making German the first language adaptation from English in the history of WHOOP.  

Malaika Mihambo Podcast Episode Chapters:

2:02 - Journey to sport. 3:45 - Staying grounded after success. 6:31 - Preparing for Tokyo. 9:37 - Journaling and fighting self doubt. 12:30 - Malaika’s journal entry before winning gold. 18:09 - Believing in yourself. 20:34 - Mindfulness and meditation. 24:49 - Using WHOOP. 27:38 - Being a vegan athlete. 32:40 - Habit tracking.