The One Percenters Performance Podcast

Mario Buchs and Tim Buxton | TKB Podcasts
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Welcome to The One Percenters Performance Podcast, hosted by ultra-endurance athlete & coach Mario Buchs and social entrepreneur & motivational speaker Tim Buxton. This show is about discovering the hidden factors that unlock exponential growth and peak performance in sport, work, and life. Each week, we dive into the tweaks, strategies, and mindsets that often go unnoticed but make all the difference. Through engaging conversations and actionable insights, The One Percenters Performance Podcast challenges conventional thinking and inspires you to activate your unique edge.

  1. Aug 28

    Mental Toughness Is Overrated — Kay Bretz on Turning Right

    What if mental toughness is the wrong goal? Ultra-runner, executive coach and author Kay Bretz joins Tim and Mario to make the case for something better: mental gentleness. Kay went from sixteen years chasing marathon PBs to running 250km through the desert, then 500km across a week — and along the way traded the “excellence game” for something bigger.  He talks about turning right at the gate that changed his life, the night he signed up for his first ultra at 3am just to stop the spiral in his head, and the moment he convinced himself he'd grown “desert legs” and ran a course record because of it.  Tim and Mario dig into leadership without the buzzwords — presence, sitting with uncertainty, and the difference between being tough on yourself and being kind to yourself. If you've ever pushed through with a stick when what you needed was a gentle hand, this conversation will reframe everything.  In This Episode  Why mental gentleness beats mental toughness — and why gentleness isn't softness  The shift from the “excellence game” to the “mastery game,” and why chasing PBs has a ceiling  “Who am I asked to be?” — the real question behind every big challenge  The power of “gates” — small rituals that change your mental state  The 3am decision, the desert legs story, and turning right at the white gate Key Quote  “It's not how do I do it? It's who am I asked to be?” — Kay Bretz  Get In Touch  Guest — Kay Bretz  Website: turningright.com  Follow Kay on LinkedIn (most active) Book: Turning Right: Inspiring the Magic  Mario Buchs  mario@healtheticacoaching.com  Follow @healthetica_coaching on LinkedIn, Instagram and more  Tim Buxton  tim@timothybuxton.com  Follow @timothykbuxton on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads and more    Discover More & Share  If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or your favourite podcast platform. We appreciate your reviews and shares — help others discover the power of aligning your purpose with your performance!

  2. Aug 21

    Rest Is Not the Reward — It's the Work

    What if the thing you've been skipping is the actual work? Tim and Mario pull apart the hustle-culture lie that exhaustion equals effort — and land on a harder truth: most of us aren't overtrained, we're under-recovered. From CEOs who protect their evenings to Mario's cats teaching a masterclass in the one percent, this episode digs into why rest gets treated like weakness when it's actually the multiplier. Tim opens up about a footy injury that forced two weeks off running — and the identity spiral that came with it. Mario explains why 10,000 steps is a made-up number, why weight loss happens in the kitchen and not on the trail, and why sleeping in on a Saturday isn't the same as sleeping. They get into peer pressure in running groups, the myth of removing yourself from your tribe when you rest, and the 10-minute roadside nap that turned a dying ultra-marathon attempt around. If you've ever felt guilty for stopping, this one's for you. In This Episode Why “under-recovered” is a more honest diagnosis than “overtrained”The ego and peer pressure that make rest feel like failureSeparating your identity from your output — “we're humans who run, not runners”Practical recovery levers: naps, midday breaks, and the 10,000-steps mythThe 10-minute roadside nap that saved an Iraq 100 attempt Key Quote “I don't think we can overtrain. I think we're under-recovered. That's why we feel overtrained.” — Mario Buchs Get In Touch Mario Buchs mario@healtheticacoaching.com Follow @healthetica_coaching on LinkedIn, Instagram and more Tim Buxton tim@timothybuxton.com Follow @timothykbuxton on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads and more Discover More & Share If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or your favourite podcast platform. We appreciate your reviews and shares — help others discover the power of aligning your purpose with your performance!

  3. Jun 19

    You Are Not Your Sport — Trent Keep on Identity, Concussion & Coaching the Person First

    Fourteen concussions in three years. A career medically retired before it ever really got going. And on the other side of it, a coach who'll tell you the most important thing he does has nothing to do with cricket. Trent Keep has coached at almost every level the game has — community, pathway, remote and Indigenous communities, the Australian blind cricket team — and now sits inside a professional setup at Somerset in the UK. But the thread running through all of it is the same: get to know the person before you ever coach the player. In this conversation Tim and Mario sit down with Trent to pull apart what happens when sport is taken from you, why your weekends and your identity quietly disappear with it, and why he refuses to tell anyone their career is over without first knowing their story. He drops a paradox that should sit heavy with every parent: we're asking eight-year-olds to play like professionals, and professionals to play like eight-year-olds. It's honest, funny, occasionally dark, and full of the kind of one percenters you can actually use — whether you coach a team, run a business, or raise a kid. Key themes Why "I am a cricketer" is a dangerous sentence — and what to say instead The quiet grief of losing the game: identity, mates, and what to do on a Tuesday night Person-first coaching, and the Outlook reminder that changed a player's whole view of him Coaching the Australian blind team — when you can't just show someone, you have to be heard Communication vs comprehension: they heard something completely different to what you said The grassroots-elite paradox: we've got the whole thing backwards Environment first — if someone "doesn't fit," look at what you built before you blame them Three good things a night, embracing the stuff-ups, and not taking yourself too seriously Standout quote "We're asking these guys at the top end to play more like eight-year-olds, and eight-year-olds to play more like top-end cricketers. If there's any parents listening, that should probably sit pretty heavy with you." — Trent Keep

    You Are Not Your Sport — Trent Keep on Identity, Concussion & Coaching the Person First

  4. May 29

    What Kids Know About Performance (That Adults Spend Years Forgetting)

    Your kid runs onto that field and something happens. You forget everything you know about performance psychology and immediately start coaching from the sideline.Sound familiar?In this episode, Tim and Mario go deep on what children do naturally that most adults have spent years — sometimes decades — unlearning. From the way kids play without an outcome in mind, to the way they pick themselves up without a crisis of identity when things go wrong. There's a masterclass happening every Saturday morning at your local oval. Most adults are too busy shouting instructions to notice it.Tim shares the real story of watching his daughter run her district cross-country carnival — the nerves, the hug before the start line, the instinct to stay out of the way. Mario reflects on coaching young athletes for nearly two decades, the parents who arrive with their own unfinished business, and why he sometimes tells parents: your kid doesn't need you at training. Go for a run.The Norwegian model gets a mention. So does the pressure of getting in the car after a game. And why ice hockey players shake hands after battering each other for 60 minutes — but the loudest person at the oval is also the least qualified to have an opinion.What You'll Take Away- Why kids in flow are the purest model of performance we have — and what kills it- The single thing Tim says to his kids before any event (and the one thing he refuses to say)- What Norway got right about youth sport that the rest of the world is only starting to understand- How to separate performance from self-worth — a skill that has to be built early or it gets expensive to learn later- Why parents at training sessions can actively hurt the coach's ability to do their job- Mario's daughter's genius move: choosing sports her dad knows nothing aboutThe One PercentersPlaying cricket and running is not who you are. It's what you do. The moment a kid internalises that — truly internalises it — they've got a psychological edge most adults are still chasing.That's the one percent. And it starts earlier than you think.GET IN TOUCHMario Buchsmario@healtheticacoaching.comFollow @healthetica_coaching on LinkedIn, Instagram and moreTim Buxtontim@timothybuxton.comFollow @timothykbuxton on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads and moreDISCOVER MORE & SHAREIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or your favourite podcast platform. We appreciate your reviews and shares — help others discover the power of aligning your purpose with your performance!

    What Kids Know About Performance (That Adults Spend Years Forgetting)

  5. May 11

    You Were Never Productive

    What if the hustle was never the point? Tim and Mario get into one of the most provocative questions of our time — not whether AI is going to take our jobs, but whether the things it's replacing were ever really ours to begin with. From Nick Cave refusing to let AI near his music, to ultra-runners choosing suffering they didn't have to choose, to a young artist refusing help mid-painting — this episode asks a confronting question: are we outsourcing the very struggle that builds us? This isn't a tech episode. It's a human one. In this episode: The question that stops most people cold — if AI did everything you did this week in 4 minutes, how would you feel?Why the productivity obsession was always a story we told ourselvesWhat Nick Cave's stance on AI reveals about creativity, struggle, and soulMario's engineering lens — AI as the hammer, not the handWhy ultra running is booming in an age of optimizationThe difference between being productive and being authenticThe one piece of advice Mario gives: own itKey Quote:"AI can rob us of our self-worth if we give it too much — because it robs us of the confidence that comes from doing the work yourself." — Tim Buxton Get In Touch: Mario Buchs📧 mario@healtheticacoaching.comFollow @healthetica_coaching on LinkedIn, Instagram and more Tim Buxton📧 tim@timothybuxton.comFollow @timothykbuxton on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads and more Discover More & Share If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or your favourite podcast platform. We appreciate your reviews and shares — help others discover the power of aligning your purpose with your performance!

    You Were Never Productive

  6. Mar 23

    Funnel the Focus

    Mario and Tim discuss "Funnel The Focus" - the critical ability that separates elite performers from everyone else. Discover how to eliminate distractions, overcome fear, and achieve true focus. In this episode we discuss: • Why focus is more valuable than time or money • How fear and worry silently steal your attention • The 4-phase process to achieve elite-level concentration • How successful people make decisions under pressure • Practical daily reflection techniques to improve focus • Why you might be "busy being busy" without real progress • Using visualisation and clarity to eliminate noise KEY TOPICS: - Focus as your most valuable commodity - The competition for attention in the digital age - From awareness to execution to flow state - Values-based decision making - The darts analogy: maintaining focus under pressure - Email management and boundary setting - Fear-based narratives and how to rewrite them PERFECT FOR: Entrepreneurs, athletes, professionals, students, and anyone seeking greater focus, productivity, and fulfillment. KEY TIMESTAMPS: 0:44 - Welcome to new listeners 2:04 - Topic: Funnel The Focus 3:02 - What does focus mean to you? 7:39 - How elite performers make decisions 8:52 - Fear as your biggest distraction 11:21 - The awareness-to-execution shift 14:26 - Values as anchor points 17:10 - The darts analogy 19:12 - Visualization and eliminating distractions 20:45 - Daily reflection practice 25:25 - Action items for listeners Get In TouchMario Buchs - mario@healtheticacoaching.com⁠⁠Follow @healthetica_coaching on LinkedIn, Instagram and moreTim Buxton - tim@timothybuxton.com⁠⁠Follow @timothykbuxton on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and moreDiscover More & ShareIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or your favourite podcast platform. We appreciate your reviews and shares—help others discover the power of aligning your purpose with your performance!

    Funnel the Focus

  7. 12/29/2025

    2025 Reflections & 2026 Aspirations

    In this special Christmas and end-of-year episode, Tim Buxton and Mario Buchs slow things down to reflect on the journey of The One Percenters Performance Podcast across 2025 and to set the tone for what’s ahead in 2026. Rather than chasing trends or polished soundbites, this conversation stays grounded, honest, and human. Tim and Mario unpack what they’ve learned through lived experience in sport, work, family, leadership, coaching, and life transitions. From the unsexy power of consistency to the importance of staying true to your core values, this episode is an invitation to reflect deeply before rushing into the new year. This is not about resolutions. It’s about rhythms. Not about reinvention. But alignment. Key Themes & Conversations Why authenticity beats algorithms A look back at why the podcast has stayed genuine, unscripted, and rooted in real experience rather than hype. The myth of the “New You” Why growth does not require losing who you are, and how staying anchored to your core values is essential during seasons of transition. The unsexy work of the 99% The daily habits, check-ins, and consistency that make the final one percent actually matter. Reflection as a discipline Why waiting until the end of the year is often too late, and how weekly or monthly reflection builds clarity and momentum. Gratitude as a daily practice Simple habits that shift mindset, perspective, and performance long before results show up. Teams, mentors, and human connection Why no meaningful progress happens alone and how surrounding yourself with the right people changes everything. Tim and Mario share what’s on the horizon, including Looking Ahead to 2026: The evolution of humanitarian ultra-endurance experiences, including a return to Kurdistan, Iraq Expansion of coaching and mentoring, with a strong emphasis on human-first, holistic performance New guests joining the podcast, bringing fresh perspectives and respectful disagreement Continued focus on leadership, resilience, belonging, and performance beyond sport The One Percent Takeaway: Don’t wait for a new year to become someone else. Build rhythms that help you become more fully yourself. Progress comes from ownership, consistency, reflection, and community — not from sudden reinvention or chasing the next shiny solution. Get In Touch Mario Buchs - mario@healtheticacoaching.com⁠⁠ Follow @healthetica_coaching on LinkedIn, Instagram and more Tim Buxton - tim@timothybuxton.com⁠⁠ Follow @timothykbuxton on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and moreDiscover More & Share If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or your favourite podcast platform. We appreciate your reviews and shares—help others discover the power of aligning your purpose with your performance!

    2025 Reflections & 2026 Aspirations

  8. 12/22/2025

    From Sea to Summit: Inside Mario's Coast to Kosci

    In this episode, Tim Buxton sits down with ultra-runner and coach Mario Buchs just two weeks after his second successful finish at Coast to Kosciuszko. What unfolds is an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at one of Australia’s most iconic endurance events: a 240km nonstop journey from the ocean at Eden to the summit of Mount Kosciuszko. Mario takes listeners inside the physical, mental, and emotional realities of the race, from starting with soaked shoes at sunrise, to navigating hailstorms, sleep deprivation, nutrition pivots, blister management, and a perfectly timed 10-minute nap that changed everything. Along the way, Tim shares reflections from crewing and pacing Mario through the night, offering rare insight into what it truly takes to finish strong. This conversation goes far beyond running. It explores leadership, teamwork, decision-making under pressure, and how small, consistent “one percent” choices compound into extraordinary outcomes. Key Moments & Themes Touching the water to touching snow Mario begins the race by intentionally soaking his shoes in the ocean, symbolising the full arc of the journey ahead. Preparation over perfection From nutrition plans to heart-rate discipline, Mario explains why having a plan — and being willing to adapt it — is everything. The power of crew and community A deep dive into the critical role of a crew chief, pacers, and trusted teammates who remove ego and keep the project moving forward. Night running and mental clarity Why Mario thrives in the quiet hours, and how staying in motion becomes a form of active recovery. The 10-minute nap that changed the race A perfectly timed decision that took Mario from empty to energised and made a safe summit possible. Weather, uncertainty, and timing Hailstorms, race stoppages, and the razor-thin margin between pushing on and waiting wisely at altitude. Summiting Mount Kosciuszko Snow, ice, wind, emotion, and the payoff for months of disciplined training and sacrifice. Finishing strong — by design How Mario executed his visualisation and crossed the line on his terms. The One Percent Lesson: Just keep moving — with intention. Progress beats perfection. Whether in ultrarunning, work, leadership, or life, stopping without purpose is often more damaging than slowing down. Movement, however small, keeps momentum alive.

    From Sea to Summit: Inside Mario's Coast to Kosci
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About

Welcome to The One Percenters Performance Podcast, hosted by ultra-endurance athlete & coach Mario Buchs and social entrepreneur & motivational speaker Tim Buxton. This show is about discovering the hidden factors that unlock exponential growth and peak performance in sport, work, and life. Each week, we dive into the tweaks, strategies, and mindsets that often go unnoticed but make all the difference. Through engaging conversations and actionable insights, The One Percenters Performance Podcast challenges conventional thinking and inspires you to activate your unique edge.

Information

  • Creator
    Mario Buchs and Tim Buxton | TKB Podcasts
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Mario Buchs and Tim Buxton | TKB Podcasts
  • Show Website
    The One Percenters Performance Podcast