0.001% reach the Olympics
Miles estimates only 0.001% of the population reaches the Olympics, and an even smaller fraction wins a medal.
Snapshot · On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Miles Chamley-Watson: #1 Mindset Shift That Changes Everything (Try THIS to Stay Sharp, Focused, and In Control)
Explore episode
Jun 3, 2026
Where this was said
Reconnecting With an Estranged Parent
At 33:48 · chapter starts 33:00
Jay asks Miles to walk through the road to his Olympic success, and the story that emerges is one of gradual self-discovery. For the 2012 London Olympics, Miles did everything 'correctly' — cut off friends, followed protocols, sacrificed everything — and finished fourth. The next year, he had dinner with a friend the night before the World Championship and won it. That jarring contrast taught him something foundational: not everyone is the same athlete, and why prepare like someone else? Before Rio 2016, he moved temporarily to Korea to train with Young Ho Kim, baffling those around him. He won the first Grand Prix of that season. He went on to enjoy three Olympics, and now when younger athletes describe their stress, he meets it with calm perspective — because he's been through each ebb and flow and has answers. The key to becoming a legend, he says, is unlocking the mind. [1] — Miles Chamley-Watson "Miles's first Olympics was all sacrifice — no friends, no fun — and he finished fourth. The next year he had dinner with a friend the night…" 33:45
Three Olympiads and the One Thing That Made the Difference
Miles's first Olympics was all sacrifice — no friends, no fun — and he finished fourth. The next year he had dinner with a friend the night before a World Championship and won. That realization — that he needed to prepare as himself, not as a generic elite athlete — became his template for reaching three Olympics and building a legacy.
Won first Grand Prix after training in Korea
Miles moved temporarily to Korea to train with Young Ho Kim, and upon returning won the first Grand Prix of the season — validating his unconventional approach.
Reconnecting With His Estranged Father
Miles went over a decade without speaking to his biological father. Then, on a spiritual journey, he picked up the phone, said 'Dad, this is Miles — I don't care about the past, how are you?' The call lasted 45 seconds. It was harder than any training session, any competition, any Olympics. And it changed everything.
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