Main content

Sports psychologists for elite athletes

Sports psychologists supporting Olympians, basketball and NFL players talk to Ella Al-Shamahi about helping elite athletes maintain peak performance mentally and physically.

Ella Al-Shamahi talks to sports psychologists from the US and South Africa about helping athletes achieve peak performance mentally and physically. Now seen as an essential part of any elite team, as well as being involved in maintaining good team dynamics they support athletes coping with competition stress, injury, and those preparing for retirement.

Dr Koketjo Tsebe has worked with various national sporting codes in South Africa. She was a team psychologist for Banyana Banyana and supported the team during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. She is also a team psychologist for the national softball team and is part of the South Africa Olympic team heading to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Dr Kensa Gunter works with athletes in the US to help strengthen the mental aspects of performance. She’s involved with teams and individuals at high school and college as well Olympic hopefuls and elite athletes in tennis, the NFL and both the men’s and women’s NBA. Working in Atlanta she also advises coaches, athletic trainers, governing bodies and sports nutritionists.

Produced by Jane Thurlow

(Image: (L) Kensa Gunta credit Katlyne Hill. (R) Koketjo Tsebe courtesy Koketjo Tsebe.)

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Sun 21 Jul 2024 00:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 15 Jul 2024 03:32GMT
  • Mon 15 Jul 2024 12:32GMT
  • Mon 15 Jul 2024 17:32GMT
  • Mon 15 Jul 2024 21:32GMT
  • Mon 15 Jul 2024 22:32GMT
  • Sun 21 Jul 2024 00:32GMT

Featured in...

The best of The Conversation

Enlightening, inspiring, revealing: Some of our favourite Conversations so far

100 Women

Global experience on image, work, relationships, equality, migration and working lives

Podcast