132. Winning The Mental Side Of Injury Recovery (feat. Drew Werner)

On this episode, I sit down with mental performance coach Drew Werner of Elevated Sport to talk about the mental side of injury recovery and how skiers get back on snow after an ACL tear or similar injury.

Drew spent over a decade as an athletic trainer and is finishing his doctorate in mental performance, and he answers the questions my Legaski Club members and Instagram followers sent in about fear, self-blame, identity, and finding joy in skiing again.

We get into why controlling the controllables changes everything, how to handle that one run that brings the injury rushing back, and what to do when your body is ready but your brain is still holding you back.

Questions Answered In This Episode:

• (5:24) What strategies help someone who keeps replaying their injury over and over in their head?

• (9:22) How do you prepare for a second surgery when your last rehab experience was really hard?

• (12:02) How do you handle the fear that your body isn't suited for the sport anymore, and whether it's even worth continuing?

• (16:13) What's the best way to prepare for the injury you know you'll likely experience one day?

• (20:13) How do you focus on recovery instead of blaming yourself, especially when the injury felt controllable?

• (24:04) When someone is physically strong but their brain is still blocking them on the hill, how do they overcome it?

• (27:03) What can you do about that one specific run that brings back flashbacks of your injury?

• (31:22) How do you manage the off-season overwhelm of missing out while you're injured?

• (34:18) What are your top 3 mental exercises for someone struggling in their rehab? (

• 39:33) As a supportive spouse, how do you help your partner find joy in skiing again without pushing them?

• (44:00) As the person supporting an injured partner, how do you manage your own fear after witnessing a bad accident?

• (48:32) What's the difference between a mental performance coach and a therapist, and when should someone see each?

This one is for every skier who has ever wondered if their head, not their knee, is the thing holding them back.

📌 Links and Resources Mentioned:

🔗Follow Drew on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/elevated_injury/

🔗Book a free 15-min consult with Drew → https://elevatedsport.simplybook.me/v2/

🔗Join The Legaski Club (FREE 7-day Trial) → https://www.skool.com/legaskiclub-pro/about

🔗Follow me on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/the_ski_pt/

🔗Book a call with me → https://www.meettheskipt.com/