Welcome!

My name is Gilead (Gil) Friedman, founder and head coach of Mental Athletics.

My more than 20 years experience in the horse industry as a trainer, competitor, and coach has highlighted the importance of a strong mindset for sports performance.

In the past, mental toughness was thought to be innate – we now understand that resiliency can be learned through training. Concerned by the lack of resources available to riders on the mental aspect of showing, I created Mental Athletics.

Mentals Athletics combines my years of horsemanship experience with my education in Sports Mindset Coaching into a hands-on approach that helps riders of all skill levels and disciplines gain the knowledge and practical tools to step up their mental game and reach their Peak Performance Mindset (PPM). A PPM describes one’s ability to overcome mental barriers along their journey to success.

My goal as a Performance Mindset Coach is to support riders worldwide, and help them develop the skills to improve their well-being as competitors and their awareness about the inner workings of their mind that impact performance.