How to Perform Under Pressure Without Losing Yourself | Chloe Kim

Wed Apr 29 2026

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim opens up about the mental battles most people never see behind the podium, including competing injured, an ADHD diagnosis that reframed her entire career, and why winning everything still left her searching for peace. You will walk away with a new way of thinking about pressure, self-worth, and what it actually means to show up for yourself.

Transcript

Lewis Howes (0:01)

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Chloe Kim (1:58)

I did not give up when I could have. People were telling me that maybe it wasn't a good idea to do this. I was not gonna let up. Like I wanted to believe in myself and show myself that I could deal with this. I don't know if you can ever truly eliminate self doubt. I think you can maybe quiet the noise a bit, but the minute something doesn't go your way, that self doubt's gonna come right back.

Lewis Howes (2:17)

At just 17 years old, she became the youngest woman to win Olympic gold in snowboarding, establishing herself as one of the most dominant athletes in her sport. We have the inspiring Chloe Kim in the house.

Chloe Kim (2:29)

My dad later on told me that if I didn't make it by the time I was 13, we wouldn't be able to afford it anymore. The most pressure I felt from them was actually as we Got closer to my first Olympics. I had to have a sit down with my parents. Like, guys, this doesn't feel good.

Lewis Howes (2:44)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The School of Greatness
Episode: How to Perform Under Pressure Without Losing Yourself | Chloe Kim
Host: Lewis Howes
Guest: Chloe Kim, Olympic Snowboarder
Release Date: April 29, 2026

Overview

In this inspiring episode, Lewis Howes interviews Chloe Kim, the youngest woman ever to win Olympic gold in snowboarding and an icon in her sport. Chloe dives deep into the mental, emotional, and physical challenges she’s overcome on her journey, sharing raw insights on performing under pressure, managing expectations, and finding balance beyond the podium. She vulnerably discusses the struggles behind the gold medals, her recent ADHD diagnosis, her evolving relationship with herself and her family, and the lessons learned through both therapy and competition. The conversation is rich with practical advice on grit, self-doubt, healing, and defining self-worth beyond external achievements.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Reality of Pressure and Self-Doubt

Pressure From a Young Age: Chloe explains the immense expectation she faced as a teen and how this pressure intensified nearing her first Olympics.
- “I did not give up when I could have. People were telling me that maybe it wasn't a good idea to do this. I was not gonna let up. Like I wanted to believe in myself and show myself that I could deal with this.” (01:58)
Reframing Pressure: She learned to see pressure as stemming from others' belief in her, shifting from fear to gratitude for having “cheerleaders.”
- “I had to make that mental shift ... I feel like I have cheerleaders instead of, you know, all these like, scary expectations.” (04:13)
Self-Doubt is Inescapable: Chloe does not claim to banish self-doubt; she manages it.
- “I don't know if you can ever truly eliminate self doubt. I think you can maybe quiet the noise a bit, but the minute something doesn't go your way, that self doubt's gonna come right back.” (16:39; also echoed at 01:58 and 74:31)

Performing Under Pressure and Injury

Navigating the “Gray Zone” of Injury: Chloe describes the frustration of competing with a shoulder injury, the fear of re-injury mid-run, and learning to trust her muscle memory.
- “I had to relearn how to do all my tricks without this arm... there was nothing I could do. I have to stop. So that's where it's really frustrating.” (14:04)
Setting Realistic Goals: Going into the Olympics less than fully healthy altered her objectives.
- “My goal was to get a medal.” (17:51)
Grit as Her Greatest Lesson:
- “I think grit. Like, true grit. I did not give up when I could have.” (03:00, 21:04)

Dealing with High Expectations and Family Dynamics

Family Sacrifice and Pressure: Chloe shares her father’s decision to invest everything in her career and the resulting pressure.
- “My dad later on told me that if I didn't make it by the time I was 13, like, we wouldn't be able to afford it anymore...” (07:33)
Seeking Normalcy at Home: As pressure peaked, Chloe needed home to remain a safe space.
- “I just need home to feel like home.” (08:56)
Parental Support vs. Pressure: She reflects on her father’s “tiger parent” tendencies, engineering mind, and ultimately unconditional love.
- “He taught me what? Support...just blindly trusting that this is gonna work, that we're gonna do everything we can on our end to make this happen.” (45:49)

Mindset, ADHD, and Therapy

ADHD Diagnosis and Impact: Chloe discusses being diagnosed with ADHD and how her hyper-focus and impulsivity helped—rather than hindered—her career.
- “It was masked so well in my sport because I think in a way it helped me...with snowboarding, that was like, the thing I could really lock in on.” (27:46-28:10)
Mental Rehearsal & Visualization: Her vivid imagination allowed deep visualization of tricks, reinforcing performance and confidence.
- “I could visualize it before, you know, without even doing it...that was always fun because then I'd go try it and I would see what I thought I would see.” (28:07)
Healing and Therapy: Therapy became about self-understanding and healing, not just performance. She shares struggles with emotional regulation, reactivity, and the journey to a recent ADHD diagnosis.
- “I was a very reactive person...I would get so hot...I don't know, like, maybe see red kind of vibes...” (58:49)

Redefining Success and Greatness

Letting Go of the Podium Mindset: Winning became an expectation, making it hard to celebrate achievements.
- “After my first gold, I started prepping for my next competition...I never took a moment to celebrate.” (75:44)
Shifting Self-Worth: Chloe now separates her results from her sense of self.
- “There’s no such thing as losing...Not winning a gold doesn’t mean you failed...You still showed up.” (78:53)
Advice on the Process Over the Prize: For herself and others, she emphasizes controlling what you can, setting small goals, and enjoying the journey.
- “Control what you can control...set little goals and...you’re going to look up one day and be exactly where you wanted to be.” (71:44)

Balance, Identity, and Living Beyond Sport

Being More Than an Athlete: Going to college and networking outside of sport opened her world, shaping her desire to have an identity beyond snowboarding.
- “I want to give myself a little more time to become a whole person and not just snowboard.” (32:00)
Maintaining her Joy: She now values fun and being present in all aspects of life.
- “Have fun. Live your best life...You only live once. You enjoy it.” (86:52)

Legacy, Advice, and the Definition of Greatness

Advice for Others (and Lewis):
- “Don’t compare yourself to anybody...At the end of the day, hard work beats talent.” (68:59)
- “I think experience is the greatest teacher...be open to learning and growing and evolving with them and just being present...” (49:29)
Three Truths:
1. Keep learning: Inspired by her father’s curiosity and lifelong learning at 70. (85:09)
2. Take care of yourself: Prioritize your wellbeing so you can show up for others. (85:48)
3. Have fun: Make joy central to your life journey. (86:53)
Definition of Greatness:
- “My definition of greatness? Me, myself, and I...But I’m pretty good, right?...I’m going to sit in my greatness for a couple, maybe a little bit more, and then I’ll think about the next definition.” (90:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Self-Doubt:
“I don't know if you can ever truly eliminate self doubt...the minute something doesn't go your way, that self doubt's gonna come right back.” (16:39)
On Pressure:
“When I started to make that shift [in mindset], things felt a lot easier and smoother for me.” (04:13)
On Grit:
“I think grit. Like, true grit. I did not give up when I could have.” (21:04)
On Therapy:
“I love my therapist. She's great...I was seeing her three times a week...I feel like I’m being very receptive...However, there's this one little thing that wouldn't quite go away...” (57:06)
On Her Father's Example:
“My dad just has always had such a curious mind and just this need for knowledge...no matter how old you are, you can always try something, learn something, experience something new for the first time.” (85:14)
On Celebrating Success:
“I wish that I had celebrated maybe, like, my smaller wins, and maybe if I had done that, all my wins would have met a bit more.” (75:27)
On Winning and Losing:
“Not winning a goal doesn’t mean that you failed. It means that you showed up...I think that's the whole point of sport.” (78:53)
On Living Fully:
“The goal is always to start my day with a smile and end it with one.” (87:24)

Important Timestamps

[01:58] – Chloe addresses perseverance and self-doubt as a recurring challenge.
[03:00, 21:04] – Importance of grit in her achievements.
[04:13] – How Chloe mentally reframed pressure into a positive.
[07:33] – Parental investment and emotional cost behind her career.
[13:03–16:30] – Competing with injury and trusting muscle memory.
[27:43–31:00] – Recent ADHD diagnosis and the connection between her mental wiring and snowboard success.
[32:00–33:00] – Identity crisis and finding life outside of snowboarding.
[45:49] – What Chloe learned from her father about support and love.
[49:29] – Advice on parenting daughters with big dreams.
[71:44] – Chloe’s advice on focusing on the process over the prize.
[74:31–78:53] – Redefining self-worth and the meaning of winning and losing.
[85:09–86:53] – Chloe’s Three Truths: Keep learning, take care of yourself, have fun.
[90:31] – Chloe’s evolving definition of greatness.

Tone and Style

The conversation is open, heartfelt, and deeply honest, blending the practical wisdom of an elite athlete with the lived experience of a young woman growing into herself. Chloe’s down-to-earth, humorous, and candid style breaks the stereotype of the unreachable sports superstar, making her story resonant and relatable for anyone who chases big dreams or wants to heal and grow along the way.

For Listeners

This episode delivers far more than tales of gold medals. It’s a masterclass on resilience, humility, and holistic greatness—on the mountain, in relationships, and within oneself. Both Lewis and Chloe model that the real work (and the real win) is learning how to show up authentically, stay kind to yourself through adversity, and keep growing, no matter what the scoreboard says.