About us
Rise Above Adversity
Rise Above Adversity was launched in November 2018 by Mental Performance Coach Cal McKinnon, solely to impact up-and-coming athletes through mastering the champion mindset of sports performance.
Growing up as an Aussie kid playing sports, Cal’s passion for becoming an elite started at a very early age.
However, there was just one problem…
He didn’t know how to develop into the ‘elite athlete’ and perform at a peak level CONSISTENTLY.
Cal was always the ‘confident kid’. If things were going well for him, his talent would shine. If not, he’d be mediocre at best.
It was a very frustrating process and it wasn’t until he invested in a mentor that he progressed from amateur to a professional in the game that he loved (in basketball).
Working with a mentor shaped Cal’s passion for personal and sporting growth as well as understanding and developing the winner’s mindset.
As someone who has competed in a professional sports environment, Cal has had the opportunity to perform with and compete against many top-level athletes to gain experience and knowledge in order to develop the next generation of mentally strong competitors on their own journey to success.
Through Cal’s experience, personal research, CBT and positive psychology studies – what was once a personal endeavour to improve himself has gone on to inspire Cal to help other athletes do the same.
At Rise Above Adversity we believe that elite athletes athletes and high-performing people are built head first. Natural talent can only take you so far. You cannot truly excel at your craft until you learn to develop your mind.
The mind controls your work ethic, choices, discipline, commitment, motivation, how you prepare, your habits, focus, confidence and self-belief. Therefore it is impossible to get the very best out of yourself if you don’t train every element of self.
As athletes rise to the next level of their journey, so does the level of competition, challenges and obstacles. This can make or break an athletes ability to endure and succeed.
Rise Above Adversity helps athletes navigate the elite pathways by optimizing confidence and focus to create greater consistency in competition and maximize their true potential.
We understand most sports clubs, teams and coaches only have limited time with their athletes – prioritizing physical skillset development and strategy. This leaves most athletes to figure out the mental game for themselves.
Rise Above Adversity’s mission is to create clear understanding and proven strategies to work through fears, mental blocks, performance anxiety, limiting beliefs and the obstacles and challenges that are present in high-pressure environments. Ultimately unlocking an athlete’s true potential within to perform freely and in flow.
This allows the athlete to access a higher state of consciousness and become more mentally and emotionally balanced in order to develop opportunities to compete at higher levels with confidence and consistency as well as learning how to apply these skills into everyday life.
