1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 “  I got to the bottom after that jump and I started having thoughts of—’I've come this far, it's all gonna slip away if I can't compete and do well in this competition.’ And as I walked across to the bottom of the jump to go back up the stairs, I basically said, ‘I'm not gonna let that happen.’” &amp;nbsp; The first formative moment of Matt Petri’s ski jumping career was probably when a coach convinced him to try the sport, rather than pursuing only alpine skiing. At that point, the event went from the scariest thing he’d ever done to something he couldn’t wait to do again. &amp;nbsp; The second was at the 1984 Olympic Trials, when he bounced back from a bad first jump to take his longest leap ever, along with first place and a spot on Team USA&amp;nbsp; headed to Sarajevo in 1984.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; But then there was another, when a serious crash before the Games even began that year threatened to take all he’d worked for away from him. On this week’s episode, Matt shares what all these experiences taught him about the importance of focus and mental health—lessons that shaped his life, both on and off the slopes. &amp;nbsp; A huge thank you to LEVER Movement, the exclusive sponsor of season 9 of The Injured Athletes Club podcast! They’re the creators of the LEVER system, a portable, lightweight device that attaches to a treadmill to reduce your body weight. Use the code INJURED20 to get 20% off your purchase here.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts, and if you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or a review in Apple podcasts. That helps other injured athletes find the show. &amp;nbsp; To access more resources for injured athletes: Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook! Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise, including hoodies, stickers, patches, journals, mugs, hats, and gift cards Access webinar videos, mental rehab e-courses, and more great resources for injured athletes while supporting our work Join The Injured Athletes Club mailing list, for news and updates Join The Injured Athletes Club Facebook group, for support and camaraderie Like The Injured Athletes Club Podcast Facebook page, for the latest episodes Email us at hello@injuredathletesclub.com with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational &amp;amp; informational use only and &amp;amp; does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation &amp;amp; treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk. &amp;nbsp; The Injured Athletes Club http://www.injuredathletesclub.com <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/41685565/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/41685565