Daniel Bækkegård is one of the best triathletes in the world, but despite the physical rigours of the sport, believes that the mental component of high level performance is just as crucial to master.

In a recent conversation with fellow triathlete Kyle Smith in the ‘Unlock Your Greatness‘ series on Canyon’s YouTube channel, Bækkegård highlights the often overlooked aspect of professional sport and explains why having the right mentality should be valued as much as having the strength or speed to win races.

“The training that we do is an extreme”

Pointing out that the advice we often give to friends in tough situations is the advice we should be taking ourselves, Bækkegård talks about how difficult it can be to be kind to yourself.

“One of the most overlooked aspects of sport and also life in general is the mind, we face challenges everyday and even though we have that switch we can flip, when things have to be serious, you have to pay good attention to what’s happening inside the mind as well.

“When you face problems or you have a tough day when things just aren’t going your way, it’s very easy for you, if you have your best friend and they’re struggling, to say ‘take a day off’ or ‘take it easy’, but we all know how difficult it is to say that to yourself.

“If you can be your own best friend and be good to yourself in those situations, then sometimes it’s better to be good to yourself, because if you look at it from above, the training that we do is an extreme.”