Bike
Wingsuit Flying
Behind the mic with Mind Set Win hosts Kate Courtney and Cédric Dumont
As hosts of the Mind Set Win podcast, Kate Courtney and Cédric Dumont are on a mission to inspire people to go beyond their fears and reach their goals.
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As two athletes at the forefront of their sports, Kate Courtney and Cédric Dumont have spent their careers developing winning mental attitudes.
Whether cross-country mountain bike racing for Courtney or wingsuit flying and BASE jumping for Dumont, they’ve pushed their mental and physical limits and consistently performed when it really matters.
They’re now calling on all their experience, education and fascination with the power of the mind as the hosts of the weekly podcast Mind Set Win.
Each episode features either Courtney or Dumont behind the mic and combines revealing interviews from the world of sport with practical steps everyone can action in their daily lives to improve their mental fitness.
Continue reading to learn more about the two hosts and listen to the latest episode below!
01
Courtney is a world champion on two wheels
Growing up in Marin County, the birthplace of modern mountain biking, one of Courtney’s first memories is of riding up Mount Tamalpais with her dad on a tandem and eating blueberry pancakes at the top.
“We went out in the rain, there was no one else on the mountain, and the weather continued to decline,” she remembers. “For the longest time, that’s what cycling was; a way to spend time with my dad.”
Initially a runner at high school, she only seriously took up cross-country mountain biking to aid her training but quickly became addicted to the freedom and adventure offered on two wheels.
Her subsequent rise was one for the history books. At the World Championships in Lenzerheide in 2018, Courtney arrived a novice excited to test herself on one of the biggest stages in the sport. She left a world champion, winning Elite XCO gold on her first attempt.
A UCI overall World Cup XCO title followed the following year in 2019, and Courtney is now established as one of the leading figures in her sport.
Courtney was crowned world champion at her very first attempt in 2018
© Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool
Over time, I learned mental strength is a skill you can build and train
02
Dumont is a pioneering adventure athlete
Cedric Dumont over the Pyramids
© Noah Bahnson/Red Bull Content Pool
One of Dumont’s early goals was to become a professional golfer after becoming hooked on the sport as an eight-year-old. He progressed into a successful amateur player before fully turning his focus and attention to flying, where the journey to understanding the benefits of performance psychology began.
He's now been at the forefront of the wingsuit flying and BASE jumping world for more than three decades. He has successfully completed more than 11,000 jumps from many remarkable locations around the world, including the Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge in Colorado, the Jin-Mao tower in Shanghai and over the pyramids in Giza.
“The biggest part about enjoyment and satisfaction in life is growth," the Belgian says.
"It’s the thing I enjoy the most, trying to become better in everything I do. I’m always going to reach for anything that can bring me closer to my goals."
03
They're both university graduates
While their sporting journeys and disciplines may differ, Courtney and Dumont both share a passion for personal growth and development.
They both studied alongside their athletic endeavours, with Dumont completing a degree in Applied Sports and High-Performance Psychology and Courtney a degree in Human Biology.
"As a young athlete, I thought mental strength was more of an innate characteristic - something you had, or you didn’t," explains Courtney. "Over time, I learned it’s a skill you can build and train.”
Dumont adds: “As a kid, I was not mentally strong. I only started learning later in life when I started studying and when I was performing in a high-risk environment. I was fascinated by how I could become mentally stronger and more resilient.”
04
Courtney knows the value of developing your mental fitness
Kate Courtney sealed the World Cup XCO overall title in 2019
© Bartek Woliński
Always motivated to explore every avenue to improve her chances of success, Courtney has seen the benefits of dedicating time in her training schedule to focus on the mental side of her fitness.
She's been working with a sports psychologist for the majority of her professional career and has used her learnings not just in her professional environment but in her daily life also.
"I personally think that the mental game is a huge part of success, but it’s also a huge part of just being a healthy, happy person in the long run," she says.
"I think that dealing with situations and emotions requires certain skills and perspectives that need to be developed."
05
Dumont is an experienced motivational speaker
Cédric Dumont at Red Bull Study Club
© Jelle Lapere/Red Bull Content Pool
Alongside his flying commitments, Dumont's unique insight as a high-performance athlete and psychologist has seen him forge a new career as a motivational speaker and author, coaching people to become the best version of themselves.
Key parts of his talks include how to train the brain to become unshakable regardless of what’s happening around you and how to respond positively to overwhelming emotions and setbacks.
“Redefining performance, setback and failure is important,” he says. “Many people quit after they fail as they look at it negatively, but it’s just learning in the growth process. To grow, you’ll have to embrace failure.”
06
As hosts, they want to inspire
Cédric Dumont behind the mic on Mind Set Win
© Jelle Lapere/Red Bull
In guiding us through every episode, the hosting duo are then sharing the practical tools needed for anyone who wishes to become more successful and satisfied.
Helping others reach their full potential and assisting on their mental fitness journey is a thrilling experience for Dumont. “It’s my mission to help people,” he says. “I want to inspire people to take action and ultimately reach their dreams, goals, and potential.”
And Courtney is excited about what’s coming next in the series. She says: “One of the things I find most fascinating is the way people integrate challenges into their story and find ways to transform potential weaknesses into potential strengths.”
Discover all the episodes released so far in Mind Set Win.
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