Sports psychologist and ultratrail regular Mark Mathieson blends special-forces experience with psychology to give endurance athletes the mental tools for resilience, focus and sustainable performance.
Mark Mathieson is a psychologist with master's-level training in sport and performance psychology and more than twenty years’ experience as a military psychologist, including eight within Australian Special Forces.
His own endurance background spans decades — from triathlon in the 80s and 90s to a packed trail running calendar today. Long hours on technical terrain shape his understanding of fatigue, decision-making under stress and the deeper link between nature and performance.
Services
Performance Psychology
Skill-building for racing and training.
Includes:
Mental skills for pacing, focus and confidence
Race-day composure & decision-making
Turning pre-race anxiety into productive energy
Strategies to reduce DNFs and rebuild post-race motivation
Nature-Based Mental Health Programs
Using nature itself as a performance and recovery tool.
Includes:
Outdoor immersion practices
Integrating natural environments into recovery routines
Understanding seasonal and environmental patterns for resilience
Who Mark Works With
Endurance athletes navigating pressure, pacing, confidence and race-day nerves
Runners dealing with stress, depression, burnout or trauma
Athletes seeking a nature-based framework for resilience and recovery
Individuals balancing training load with demanding careers and family life
Runners and endurance athletes in Australia and overseas (online sessions)
What To Expect
A psychology approach rooted in ecopsychology (nature-based mental health)
Tools that combine performance mindset, emotional stability and outdoor immersion
Practical strategies shaped by Mark’s experience in extreme environments
Sessions delivered via secure online calls, accessible nationally and internationally
A philosophy centred on resilience, cognitive strength and sustainable performance
Qualifications
Masters training in Sport & Performance Psychology
Registered AHPRA Psychologist
22 years as a military psychologist (8 within Australian Special Forces)
Production psychologist for Alone Australia, Survivor, SAS Australia
Debrief lead – Australian Antarctic Program winter expeditioners
Performance consultant to energy & mining teams in PNG, Timor-Leste, Laos and WA
