From Rugby Legend to Olympic Gold: John Eales’ Unlikely Influence on Mogul Skiing Star Cooper Woods
Australian sporting royalty John Eales, a name synonymous with Wallabies glory and a legendary figure in Australian rugby, has found himself playing an unexpected yet crucial role in the ascent of mogul skier Cooper Woods. While Eales himself only strapped on a pair of skis in his early forties, his mentorship has been instrumental in propelling Woods towards Olympic success, culminating in a gold medal at the Milan-Cortina Games.
The partnership between the former Wallabies captain and the rising star began as part of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame scholarship program, pairing Eales with Woods in the lead-up to the 2022 Beijing Olympics. This connection has remained strong, with Eales continuing to offer guidance as Woods aims for further triumphs.
Woods, who achieved a surprising sixth place in his Olympic debut in Beijing, revealed that he reached out to Eales for advice before his first race in Livigno as he sought to build on his maiden Games experience. “I’ve been pretty fortunate to work with some pretty amazing people,” the 25-year-old commented. “I go back to my last Olympics when I worked with John Eales, and we actually communicated just before the qualification one, and I told him that I was running the same things that we did back then, just with the cues and some really good advice. He’s been a massive part of what I’ve been able to achieve.”
The “cues” Woods refers to are remarkably similar to the mental preparation Eales employed before his iconic penalty goal that secured the Bledisloe Cup for the Wallabies in 2000. Eales’ success hinged on a precise, three-step process that he has now adapted for Woods.
Woods’ Olympic Mindset Framework:
- Internalisation and Visualisation: Woods begins by closing his eyes and mentally rehearsing his entire run. This allows him to visualise every turn, jump, and obstacle.
- This mental rehearsal helps to build confidence and familiarity with the course, reducing the element of surprise.
- The Pre-Gate Burst: Just as he pushes out of the starting gate, Woods unleashes a powerful, vocalised affirmation: “let’s go.”
- This signifies a commitment to the run and a mental shift from preparation to execution.
- Present Moment Awareness: A key element for Woods is to actively recall every detail of his journey down the course.
- This technique is designed to keep him fully present and focused on the immediate task, preventing his mind from wandering or dwelling on past or future outcomes.
Beyond these actionable cues, Eales imparted a more profound piece of wisdom: the reminder to “not forget about why you’re actually there.” This resonates deeply with Woods, who, despite a brief moment of confusion mixing up rugby league and rugby union when discussing Eales post-victory, understands the core of their shared athletic ethos.
The former World Cup-winning skipper freely admits he cannot offer technical advice on mogul skiing, a fact he considers a strength in their mentorship. “I’m still quite ordinary at skiing, although I love doing it,” Eales stated prior to the Beijing Games. “I think that’s one of the things that makes this Australia Hall of Fame mentorship quite unique and interesting and useful – you’re not crossing over anything that their coach is going to be telling them technically. You’re there as a support to them, for them to turn to you when they have questions, maybe bouncing a few ideas off you, but I’m not going to get in the way of anything he’s doing technically.”
Eales’ perspective on mentorship stems from his own extensive experience with pressure and performance. “You’d like to think that you can help across a range of things because, equally, I’ve failed under pressure and I’ve failed under no pressure, and you learn lessons from each of those experiences,” the 55-year-old explained. “You learn different skills to perhaps get you out of certain situations, different skills to help you focus at times when there may be a lot of distractions around you.”
Eales has long been an admirer of the Winter Olympics. “I’ve always watched the Winter Olympics, and I suppose when you’re pretty average at something, you greatly appreciate how hard it is to be really good at something,” he mused. “I do appreciate the complexity of what Cooper is doing, and at the pace that he’s doing it at, and under the pressure he’s under. So, I have a really high level of respect for him.” This mutual respect and Eales’ ability to draw parallels from his own high-stakes sporting career have undoubtedly provided Woods with an invaluable edge as he navigates the demanding world of elite winter sports.
