Dave Wood: The Man Elite Athletes Call When Everything Falls Apart
Episode Description
Dave Wood is a high-performance coach.
He hosts workshops at West Auckland’s Piha Beach called Calm Under Pressure which combine mental and physical challenges- clients (including UFC stars, Team NZ champions and Olympic athletes) often describe these workshops as life changing.
Dave Wood has done a lot, seen a lot and learned a lot.
I genuinely believe if you are listening to this episode in the right frame of mind- ready to learn and open to some new ways of thinking, this podcast conversation could be transformational.
It’s a podcast of two halves. The first half is stuff we can all draw from around mental skill development and personal growth.
The second half is all about Dave and who he is: a kid who struggled with learning who became the youngest surf lifesaving captain in New Zealand before going on some INSANE travel adventures before becoming an emergency paramedic.
I loved spending two hours with Woody and I hope you do too.
After listening to this, if you are keen to attend one of Dave’s Calm Under Pressure workshops, you will get 20% OFF if you book BEFORE June 7 2025
00:00 Who is Dave Wood? 14:42 Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt 24:03 Mental Skill Development in Sports 28:41 Taking Radical Ownership of Health 37:56 Navigating Self-Improvement Through Setbacks 50:23 Embracing Personal Growth Through Vulnerability 1:03:14 Overcoming Learning Challenges and Achieving Success 1:15:09 Tales of Travel and Challenge 1:27:46 Emergency Service Experiences and Reflections 1:38:34 Investing in Physical and Mental Health 1:52:55 Evolving Workshop Impact and Personal Pride 1:59:25 Calm Breathing Technique for Stress Relief
Brief Summary
Dave Wood discusses stress management, mental resilience, and his workshop Calm Under Pressure, sharing insights from his paramedic career and personal journey.
Key points
- Calm Under Pressure Workshop. A transformative two-day workshop focused on mental skill development and self-awareness.
- The Importance of Nature. Participants reconnect with nature to strip away mental noise and foster sharing.
- Radical Ownership. Take radical ownership of your physical and mental health; it's crucial for well-being.
- The Importance of Balance. Life is about enjoying yourself while maintaining a healthy balance between stress and recovery.
- Mindset Matters. Developing a positive mindset can transform your approach to stress and challenges.
- The Power of Trying Hard. Embracing vulnerability and the act of trying hard can be transformative, challenging societal norms.
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Episode highlights
- Calm Under Pressure WorkshopA transformative two-day workshop focused on mental skill development and self-awareness.“I’m going to make the best mental skill development workshop in the world.”8:28May 28, 2025
- The Importance of NatureParticipants reconnect with nature to strip away mental noise and foster sharing.“It takes about 20-30 minutes of being in nature to just strip away all the noise.”12:06May 28, 2025
- Radical OwnershipTake radical ownership of your physical and mental health; it's crucial for well-being.“You only have one body to last a lifetime.”31:23May 28, 2025
- The Importance of BalanceLife is about enjoying yourself while maintaining a healthy balance between stress and recovery.“It doesn’t need to be perfect and it’s never going to be perfect.”36:52May 28, 2025
- Mindset MattersDeveloping a positive mindset can transform your approach to stress and challenges.“Calmness of mind is a superpower.”50:33May 28, 2025
- The Power of Trying HardEmbracing vulnerability and the act of trying hard can be transformative, challenging societal norms.“Trying hard is the most powerful thing.”58:31May 28, 2025
- The Power of MindsetHe realized a fixed mindset was holding him back from success in math.“You will never be good at math.”1:09:38May 28, 2025
- Traveling for GrowthHe reflects on his travels as some of the most important experiences of his life.“I look back on that as probably the most important.”1:18:34May 28, 2025





