The Peak Performance Triad: How to optimise your Physical, Mental, Emotional state

As an athlete, you don’t hit your peak by accident. And you definitely don’t stay there without a proper plan.

It took me a long long time to figure out how to get there in the first place. In the early days, I thought peak performance was purely about how hard I trained or how dialled-in I was on competition day. But it was my lifestyle that contributed the most. Full commitment at all times. That’s why the best peak performance strategies cover way more than just the reps and routines—it’s about optimising every element of life.

Here are three strategies I swear by—physical, mental and emotional—and how you can use them to elevate whatever you’re chasing, whether you’re standing on a diving board or presenting in the boardroom.

1. Physical Optimisation: Show Up Before You Have To

There’s no cheat code here, no cutting corners—just a very obvious truth: you’ve got to do the stuff others won’t. For me, that meant turning up to training way before training started to give myself time to go through a proper prehab routine before my warm-up even began.

It wasn’t always easy, there were times it felt like a inconvenience as it would shorten my break between sessions. But I realised that feeling ready to train isn’t something that magically happens—it’s something you build. Adding up those extra minutes became the difference between feeling tight and feeling good.

It’s not about being perfect every single day—it’s about making the smart choice as often as you can.

Takeaways:

• Start early. The investment pays off in career longevity and fewer injuries.

• Prehab isn't optional if you want to perform like a pro well into your 30s.

• Rushing = stress. Give yourself the margin to move with intention.

2. Mental Optimisation: Visualise or Be Surprised

I will continue to mention this topic, if I had a fiver for every time I’ve talked about visualisation, I’d have retired by now!

But seriously—it works. I don’t mean laying in bed daydreaming. I’m talking about intentional visualisation. Seeing whole sequence of the dive. Feeling the takeoff. Understanding the movements. Hearing the crowd. Practising success in your head so often that it starts to feel familiar.

My imagineering protocol became an essential part of my prep months before major comps. And every time I nailed a dive when it mattered most, it wasn’t just because my body was ready—it was because my mind had already been there over and over again.

Takeaways:

• Don’t wait until the night before to get your head in the game—start weeks (or months) ahead.

• Picture success so clearly it feels inevitable when you arrive.

• Visualisation is a free resource, takes 10 minutes, and might be your best most effective weapon.

3. Emotional Optimisation: Train Your Nerves Like a Skill

I used to try to block out nerves. Now I know how to use them to my advantage.

Just before my prelim and semi-final in Paris, I spent time walking on poolside—doing a bit of mobilisation sure, but also to take in the crowd, the lights, the noise. I wanted to feel and absorb the atmosphere so that when it was my turn on the springboard, I wasn’t overwhelmed—I was familiar. Grounded. Calm.

Big emotions don’t have to be a threat. In fact, when channelled right, they’re fuel.

Takeaways:

• Don’t ignore your nerves—get to know them.

• Step into the pressure early so it doesn’t crush you later.

• Make high-stakes moments feel like déjà vu, not disaster.

Conclusion: Your Peak Is Built Daily, Not Found Suddenly

There’s no single path to high performance—but if you’re not optimising across all three dimensions (body, mind, and emotion), you’re leaving potential on the table.

For me, these peak performance strategies weren’t quick wins. They were long-term habits. And each one fed into the next. Physical preparation made room for mental clarity. Mental prep built emotional control. Emotional control kept me present when it counted.

All of it came back to one thing: self-belief.
Because once you truly believe you’re capable of executing at your peak… you start preparing like it.

🎯 Which of these strategies do you use most?
💬 Comment below or DM me—let’s build a community that performs with purpose.
🚀 Share this with a teammate, coach or colleague who’s aiming higher.