Olympic Gold Medalist: Other People Were Killing My Confidence (And How I Got It Back) - Caroline Marks
Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais
Dr. Michael Gervais
4.7 • 1.7K Ratings
🗓️ 19 November 2025
⏱️ 70 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
What if the key to becoming a champion isn’t about chasing wins—but knowing when to pause, prioritize the inner work, and trust that the rest will follow?
On today’s episode, filmed in front of a live audience at California Surf Club, we sit down with Caroline Marks — the 2023 World Surf League Women’s Champion and 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist. By 23, Caroline has already reached the pinnacle of her sport, becoming one of the most dominant surfers of her generation. But what makes her story remarkable isn’t just the medals—it’s the emotional and psychological work behind them.
In this conversation, Caroline opens up about rebuilding after the heartbreak of Tokyo, the self-doubt that almost sidelined her, and how therapy, family, and faith in herself helped her rediscover her love for surfing. Dr. Mike and Caroline unpack what it means to train not just the body, but the mind—to develop emotional awareness, to redefine success, and to keep the joy alive in high-stakes environments.
You’ll learn:
- How to rebuild confidence and purpose after a major setback
- Why emotional awareness is the foundation for high performance
- The key to balancing ambition with inner peace
- How to strengthen trust—in yourself and in others
- What it means to find motivation after reaching the top
- Why mastering your emotions is a major competitive advantage
This is a powerful look into the mindset of a young champion who’s rewriting what it means to win...inside and out. Tune in to hear how Caroline Marks is defining mastery on her own terms.
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Location: Thanks to California Surf Club, 239 N Harbor Dr, Redondo Beach, CA.
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Transcript
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| 1:22.5 | Caroline is the youngest surfer ever to qualify for the world championships to it. |
| 1:26.8 | Carolyn Mark's a seasoned, crusty veteran at the age of 16. |
| 1:30.3 | A defending world surf league champion. |
| 1:33.3 | She has her eyes set on the goal. |
| 1:35.3 | What I took time off, it was like six months of like intensive therapy. |
| 1:39.3 | Like I didn't touch a surfboard. |
| 1:40.3 | Like it was all like, okay, who's Caroline? |
| 1:42.3 | What if the key to becoming a champion isn't about chasing wins, but knowing when to pause? As a surfer, like, you start very young and you finish very young. You're learning so much about yourself, but you're also put on the stage of like, you're supposed to be perfect and have everything figured out. Welcome back. We're welcome to the Finding Mastery podcast, where we dive into the minds of the |
| 2:02.2 | world's greatest thinkers and doers. I am your host, Dr. Michael Jerva, by trade and training, |
| 2:07.0 | a high-performance psychologist. Now, the idea behind these conversations is simple to sit with the |
| 2:11.8 | extraordinarily and to learn, really learn how they work from the inside out. Today's guest is |
| 2:17.1 | Caroline Marks, |
| 2:18.9 | the 2003 World Surf League women's champion, |
| 2:22.4 | and the 2024 Olympic gold medalist. |
... |
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