Ali Day is one of the world’s top Ironman athletes - but this isn’t about medals. It’s about the mindset, habits, and grit that push humans past their limits. Ali breaks down the people who shaped him, the mental tools that rewired his approach, and the moments that tested him like never before.
Behind the scenes, he reveals the visualisation and hypnosis tools that changed everything—imagining entire races in brutal detail, scripting every move, and rehearsing every scenario in his mind—alongside the recovery strategies, growth lessons, and life insights that stretch far beyond sport.
4:45 Role models, belonging, and realising heroes are human
7:05 Curiosity, early psychology work, and the 10-minute shift
11:20 Mental skills, imagery, and gaining an edge early
18:15 Going against the grain and leaning on the right support
20:20 Rock bottom, injury, and rebuilding stronger
27:00 Unlearning old identities and upgrading information
35:55 Why Ironman is a team sport — when to follow, when to lead
39:00 The unseen work and treating performance like a job
46:45 Recovery as a priority and tracking the data
50:15 Life beyond Ironman and approaching a new career like a race
57:10 The next decade, and reflecting on the journey
1:02:15 Psychologist Lisa’s reflections
Follow Ali on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/alastairday/?hl=enFind out more about ACTV Strength Co:
https://actvstrengthco.com/
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What is Performance Intelligence?
There's IQ. There's EQ. Introducing PQ. All things human performance with PQ founder, Andrew May, exploring the latest in human performance with an all-star cast of subject matter experts covering physical and psychological wellbeing, performance psychology, sport, business, entertainment, the performing arts, leadership, and science.
Learn valuable lessons that can be applied to optimising performance in your personal and professional life. Performance Intelligence applies to the way we turn up in relationships and the way we turn up at work, it applies to the way we perform in front of 10,000 people and the way we perform in front of one.