Chasing Excellence audiobook cover - A Story About Building the World’s Fittest Athletes

Chasing Excellence

A Story About Building the World’s Fittest Athletes

Ben Bergeron

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Health & Nutrition

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Key Takeaways from Chasing Excellence

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Mind Map

Chasing Excellence
Commitment & Passion+
Focus & Control+
Confidence & Humility+
Positivity+
Adversity Training+
Grit & Competitive Excellence+
Continuous Improvement+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8
According to the book, what sets the greatest performers apart from those who simply put in 10,000 hours of practice?
  • A. Natural genetic predispositions to their specific sport.
  • B. Deliberate practice that pushes them past their normal limits.
  • C. Access to better resources and financial support.
  • D. The ability to practice without experiencing physical discomfort.
Question 2 of 8
How does the author advise athletes to handle making a mistake during a competition?
  • A. Ignore the mistake completely to maintain a positive attitude.
  • B. Spend a maximum of five minutes considering the mistake, then focus on breathing and being present.
  • C. Analyze the mistake for hours after the event to ensure it never happens again.
  • D. Blame external factors to protect their mental confidence.
Question 3 of 8
In Urban Meyer's formula E + R = O (Event + Response = Outcome), what is the key takeaway for athletes?
  • A. Athletes can control both the event and their response to guarantee a positive outcome.
  • B. The outcome is entirely predetermined by the event, so athletes must learn to accept failure.
  • C. An athlete's response is the only factor they have control over in any given situation.
  • D. Events are usually negative, so the response must always be aggressively positive.
Question 4 of 8
What is 'double-loop learning' as described in the text?
  • A. Learning a skill by repeating it twice as many times as your competitors.
  • B. Focusing solely on the internal reasons why you failed to perform well.
  • C. Evaluating both the external conditions and the internal factors of a performance to find faster solutions.
  • D. Having a coach and an athlete review the same performance independently.
Question 5 of 8
How does Arnold Zwicky's 'frequency illusion' relate to an athlete's mindset?
  • A. Athletes who train more frequently are under the illusion that they are better than they actually are.
  • B. The mind tends to notice results that match what it is already contemplating, meaning negative thoughts breed negative results.
  • C. Repeating positive affirmations frequently will directly improve physical strength.
  • D. Athletes often lose focus when they perform high-frequency workouts.
Question 6 of 8
Why did the author have Katrín Davíðsdóttir swim in freezing water with jellyfish?
  • A. To build her physical immunity to the cold and natural toxins.
  • B. To punish her for a poor performance in a previous event.
  • C. To prove that she was physically tougher than her male competitors.
  • D. To familiarize her with non-ideal conditions so she would be prepared for the worst during a competition.
Question 7 of 8
What does 'competitive excellence' look like in practice, based on Mat Fraser's performance at the 2016 Crossfit Games?
  • A. Giving 100 percent effort in the final events even when he had a massive, unbeatable lead.
  • B. Coasting on autopilot to avoid injury once the victory was mathematically secured.
  • C. Intimidating competitors by boasting about his 195-point lead.
  • D. Saving all of his energy for the final two events while doing the bare minimum in the early stages.
Question 8 of 8
According to the final summary, what is the 'aggregation of marginal gains'?
  • A. Winning multiple small local competitions before attempting the Crossfit Games.
  • B. Focusing on incremental improvements, such as getting 1 percent better every day.
  • C. Gathering a large team of specialized coaches to improve each aspect of an athlete's life.
  • D. Pushing the body to absolute failure to achieve massive physical growth all at once.

Chasing Excellence — Full Chapter Overview

Chasing Excellence Summary & Overview

Chasing Excellence (2017) provides a revealing look at the mental toughness that is required of athletes who hope to be among the world’s best. Ben Bergeron takes readers behind the scenes to see what it takes to train for world-class competitions, and just how important mental fitness is to an athlete’s overall strength.

Who Should Listen to Chasing Excellence?

  • Anyone who aspires to excellence
  • Athletes who want to strengthen their mental muscle
  • Trainers and coaches

About the Author: Ben Bergeron

Ben Bergeron is a coach and former competitive athlete. Since 2009, he has led five athletes to become champions at the Crossfit Games.

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