Case Studies › Javelin
CASE STUDY · JAVELIN · STATE LEVEL
PODIUM PLACE AT SUKMA AFTER BREAKING THROUGH A MENTAL BLOCK
A 19-year-old javelin thrower kept feeling held back, unable to throw as strong and as free as he knew he could. Over three months of one-to-one sessions, he learned to turn his negative thoughts into beliefs he could trust, and threw 60 m to win a medal.
AT A GLANCE
Athlete: 19-year-old state-level javelin thrower
Role: Athlete
Competition: SUKMA, competing for Penang, his second appearance
Why he came: A mental block stopped him throwing to his best and beating his personal best
Our work together: One-to-one sessions over 2 to 3 months
THE RESULTS AT A GLANCE
MEDAL WINNER
at SUKMA
60 m
throw, close to his personal best
THE SITUATION
He was 19 and heading into his second SUKMA, competing for Penang. He already had experience at state level, so he knew exactly what kind of competition he was walking into.
When we first met, much of the work was about helping him overcome obstacles in his own mind. He described a feeling that he couldn’t throw the javelin as strong and as free as he wanted to, so he never surpassed his personal best. It felt like a mental block that kept him from throwing to his best ability.
THE CHALLENGE
As we dug deeper, the block turned out to be a set of negative beliefs he had ingrained in him, partly shaped by his environment.
Together these became a collection of negative thoughts, much of it self-judgement about how he would perform: I’m such a failure. I haven’t been at my best. I don’t think I’ll be able to perform 100% today.
THE DOUBT
His doubts came from three places.
The first was his opponents. Seeing how tough the competition would be on the day made it feel harder to perform at his best.
The second was his body. If he didn’t feel right physically on the day itself, that fed the same negative beliefs.
The third was the pressure he put on himself.
Each one added to the mental block that restricted him from throwing as strong and as free as he could.
WHAT WE DID
Over two to three months, in one-to-one sessions, we worked through three steps, and kept testing whether he truly believed what he was telling himself.
1
Put The Thoughts On Paper
He wrote down every negative thought and belief he carried, so they were all laid out in front of him instead of circling in his head. Then we grouped them into common themes and patterns.
2
Reframe Them
We turned each negative thought into something within his control, starting with “I can” or “I am”. “I’m such a failure” became “I can succeed and do my best today”. “Seeing my opponents makes me feel weak” became “I am strong, despite seeing my opponents”. Just as important, we checked whether he actually believed the new thought.
3
Practise It In Training
He took the reframed thoughts into daily training and held them in mind through each javelin throw. By competition day they were a rehearsed self-talk routine, not just something he had said in a session room.
WHAT CHANGED
Before: A mental block that stopped him throwing as strong and as free as he wanted.
After: Came into competition prepared mentally as well as physically.
Before: Negative thoughts about himself and his opponents, shaped by the day’s pressure.
After: A list of reframed thoughts he believed in, rehearsed in training.
Before: Not yet beating his personal best.
After: A silver medal with a 60 m throw, close to his personal best.
ON COMPETITION DAY
After two to three months and several sessions together, he came into competition well prepared, not just physically but mentally. As he took his throws, the positive self-talk he had rehearsed played out in his mind. He took the silver medal with a 60 m throw, close to his personal best, and he was very satisfied with it.
What matters most to us is not only how far the javelin went, but how he performed in the moment. A result like this builds an athlete’s confidence, because success builds on success.
WHAT'S NEXT
We are continuing to work with him to make those reframed thoughts even stronger. As he pushes for the next level and a new personal best, we’ll look at which additional beliefs and self-talk he can start to practise to lift himself further.
HELD BACK BY YOUR OWN HEAD?
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The athlete’s name and identifying details have been changed to protect her privacy. Shared with her and her family’s permission.