I Won 11 World Titles Because They Said I Couldn't: Anna Hemmings MBE | E65

TL;DR

Anna Hemmings, an 11-time European/world champion kayaker, explains how being told she was “too small” fueled her determination to become the strongest in her team and win world titles. She then overcame chronic fatigue syndrome by treating the mind-body connection—identifying suppressed emotions and a poor environment as triggers—rather than using medication.

Key insights

• Being told you “can’t” (e.g., “not big enough, not strong enough”) can be reframed as motivation to work harder on the things you can change (strength, not height).
• Healthy conflict in teams requires trust built through vulnerability; without trust, people nod in meetings but don’t commit.
• A sports psychologist helped Hemmings from age 16 – the common differentiator among elite athletes is mental strength, not physical fitness.