Elite athletes require mental toughness. Here’s what that actually means

Eight professional and collegiate athletes across various disciplines shared their personal definitions of mental toughness in elite sports. Competitors including Natasha Cloud, Colin Wilson, Cliff Floyd, Mary Stoiana, Stacey Copeland, Robert Turbin, Jackson Suber, and Arch Manning explained how psychological demands differ across sports and individual situations.

Their definitions highlighted embracing vulnerability, practicing self-empathy, maintaining confidence through bad results, physical resilience, and rebounding quickly after on-field mistakes. The contributors emphasized that mental fortitude often involves self-awareness, asking for support, and managing emotional responses rather than merely pushing through adversity.