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Sports pyschologist details how Fanning overcame fear to win at J-Bay

ONE of Australia’s leading psychologists says Mick Fanning’s ability to conquer his fears at Jeffreys Bay makes his victory one of the greatest triumphs in sports history.

Mick Fanning celebrates winnning the J-Bay Open. Picture: Kirstin Scholtz.
Mick Fanning celebrates winnning the J-Bay Open. Picture: Kirstin Scholtz.

ONE of Australia’s leading psychologists says Mick Fanning’s ability to conquer his fears at Jeffreys Bay makes his victory one of the greatest triumphs in sports history.

Fanning’s ability to return to the J-Bay Open and win a year after being attacked by a great white shark during the same competition has etched the Gold Coast surfer’s name into sporting folklore.

Dr Phil Jauncey, who has worked with the likes of the Brisbane Broncos and Cricket Australia, said Fanning had ­become a champion by not ­letting emotion dictate his ­actions.

“You can’t control your feelings but you can control your reaction and our reaction makes it better or worse,” Jauncey said.

“What we like about ­Fanning in this case is that he had every reason not to go there ­(J-Bay).

“This is what makes what he did so good because he was able to say, ‘despite my feelings, my emotions and everything telling me that I shouldn’t be there, I’m going to go there anyway’.

“That meant he was in control of his actions and winners in life are in control of their ­actions. Going there and then as it got closer to simulating what had happened last year and that he was able to not only do it but able to do it at a high level of performance.

“That is why he is a champ­ion. I call it leaving my computer on and that is when you’re at a high level you can’t think about what you’re doing.”

Jauncey said it was his toughness that enabled the three-time world champion to do what few could.

“It’s a legitimate fear. It’s not like saying the worst thing that happens in sport is you lose. The worst thing is that you can get eaten by a shark.

“It would be hard to relate to much else. I understand racing drivers can be injured really bad or skiers who hit a tree.

“Here you’re in a situation where you have no control of knowing if there is going to be another shark and you know if you do see a shark you don’t have a strategy if the shark comes at you.”

Original URL: https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/surf-sports/sports-pyschologist-details-how-fanning-overcame-fear-to-win-at-jbay/news-story/3f0250b6d8344dbf6e4a872773a1cc76