Ability vs Capacity: Exploring Low Energy Availability in Women's Sport with Hannah Heideveld

"Just because you have the ability to do something, that doesn't mean it's going to happen. Because sometimes you have the capacity and sometimes you don't. We're not robots, we're humans with emotions and things happen" - Hannah Heideveld. In this episode of Tall Poppy Talk, elite athlete Hannah Heideveld discuss the critical intersection of mental health and performance in elite sports, particularly focusing on rowing. We explore Hannah's personal experiences with low energy availability, the importance of mental well-being for athletes, and the physiological and psychological factors that contribute to performance. We delve into the challenges of overtraining, the significance of nutrition, and the necessity of taking breaks for mental health. Hannah shares her journey, insights from her capstone project on mental health in female endurance athletes, and the impact of these factors on her training and performance. Hannah shares her experiences as a rower, discussing the emotional highs and lows of competing at the Olympic Trials, the importance of camaraderie, and the technical challenges of rowing in pairs. Hannah details the concept of low energy availability in athletes, the impact of social media on body image, and the necessity of resilience in high-performance sports. The discussion also touches on imposter syndrome, highlighting how even successful athletes can struggle with feelings of inadequacy. Listen to the full interview on Spotify, iHeart Radio, or Apple Podcasts. #rower #athlete #lowenergy #womenssport #sport #podcast #iheartradio #2025 #celebrate #confidence #learning #newzealand #aotearoa #mentalperformance #tallpoppytalk #mentalhealthmatters #quote #fyp #dutch #endurance #women