The Adventure Reignition Podcast

The Performance Trap: When Your Worth Depends on Winning With Ex Pro-Cyclist Shannon Malseed

Blaise Depallens Season 1 Episode 72

Send us a text

Hey Adventurers,

In this powerful episode of The Adventure Reignition Podcast, I sit down with Shannon Malseed, a former professional cyclist turned performance mindset coach, for one of the most raw, honest, and emotionally charged conversations we've ever had on the podcast.

Shannon opens up about the dark side of elite performance, a world where discipline turns into self-destruction, hunger is confused with success, and being "the best" can feel like being the most invisible.

Together, we dive deep into:

  • The moment she realized winning wasn’t worth the inner collapse.
  • How disordered eating and toxic pressure to perform nearly ended her career.
  • The emotional toll of being praised for pain and why no one spoke up.
  • The roots of high-achiever trauma and where our obsession with proving ourselves really comes from.
  • How Shannon redefined success after retiring at the peak and what she teaches athletes and creators today.

✨ Favorite Quote:

“The better I performed, the more love I received—so I abandoned myself to be loved.”

💡 What You’ll Learn:

  • Why performance-based identity leads to burnout and how to rebuild from within.
  • How to spot when your motivation is coming from fear vs. authenticity.
  • A step-by-step process to interrupt toxic patterns, even without a breakdown.
  • Why nature, pausing, and self-connection are the antidotes to the hustle.
  • How to heal visibility fears and share your story online without shame.

🔥 This Episode Is For You If:

  • You’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything right… and still feel empty.
  • You tie your worth to your results and are afraid to slow down.
  • You’re a creator, athlete, or entrepreneur struggling with burnout, perfectionism, or fear of being seen.
  • You want to reconnect with joy, authenticity, and your true self online and offline.

Where to find Shannon :

🤝 Want to Go Deeper?

If you’re a multi-passionate creator or adventurer who’s been ghosting your voice and craving more alignment, let’s talk. I’m opening spots for my new 1:1 coaching program, where we’ll co-create a magnetic personal brand rooted in your truth, not trends.

DM me “POD” on Instagram to get started.

🙌 Subscribe & Review:

If this episode spoke to you, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your feedback helps me reach more creators, adventurers, and soul-led humans who need to hear these conversations.

Final Thought:

You don’t have to abandon yourself to succeed. This episode is your invitation to redefine success, reconnect with what matters, and begin your next adventure with joy, not pressure, leading the way.

Thanks for listening.

Where to find your host online :

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaisedepallens/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blaisedepallens/
Website: blaisedepallens.com