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In this episode of the Matter Mentality Podcast, Ben sits down with Nigerian-American 800-metre Olympian and coach Edose Ibadin to discuss conviction, resilience and what it takes to pursue a goal for more than a decade.
At 18, Edose posted a tweet declaring that he would become an Olympian. Twelve years later, he represented Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, but the journey between those two moments was far from linear. Edose opens up about injury, periods of low confidence, and the devastation of missing the Tokyo Olympic team, as well as the psychological grief athletes can experience when the pursuit that has shaped their identity is suddenly interrupted.
Together, Ben and Edose explore the mental frameworks required to navigate these setbacks, including cognitive reappraisal, emotional regulation, and learning to separate making a mistake from believing you are a failure. Edose also explains why athletes must learn to become their own biggest supporter, maintain their standards through emotional peaks and valleys, and focus on delivering the best effort available to them each day.
The conversation also breaks down the unique demands of the 800 metres, an event requiring an unforgiving combination of speed, endurance, pacing and mental control-and the command cues Edose uses to remain focused when fatigue begins to take over.
Ultimately, this episode is about more than reaching the Olympic Games. It is about the person built through the pursuit. While another career may have offered Edose greater financial certainty, the discipline, self-belief and resilience developed throughout his journey have created a competitive advantage that will remain long after his time on the track.
