How to Build an Elite Athlete Mindset: Nicole Heavirland’s Story

The Journey From Rugby to Shooting

Nicole Heavirland

So I didn't train with the girls, but I got better with the boys. And I think it goes a long way just to train against the boys. I remember when I first joined the Olympic rugby team in 2015, I was the kid doing hill sprints on our off day. I just got really into fitness early on, so much that I was named the fittest cadet in my class at West Point, and I’ve never lost a fitness test on the national team.

Elizabeth Montavon

Welcome to this episode of Athlete Actually. I'm your host, Elizabeth Montavon, and today I'm joined by Nicole Heavirland, an Olympic rugby player for Team USA and one of the leaders of the U.S. Women’s Sevens program.

Nicole didn’t grow up playing rugby. She found the sport at 15 after years of competing in football, wrestling, and basketball, always drawn to the physical side of sport but never quite fitting the traditional path.

It was on the pitch at the U.S. Military Academy where something clicked.

Within a few years, she had earned All-American honors, made her way onto the national team, and eventually onto the Olympic stage in Tokyo.

Now a three-time Olympian, she’s since built a career around competing at the highest levels of both sevens and fifteens, known for her intensity, versatility, and the edge she brings to every team she’s a part of.

Nicole, thank you so much for joining us today. How are you?

Nicole Heavirland

I’m great. Thanks for having me.

Elizabeth Montavon

You have so many sports stories, I already know it, because you’re such a multi-sport athlete. But before we get into all the good stuff, what have you been up to lately?

Nicole Heavirland

I’ve been on the Olympic rugby team for 10 years. I was based in Chula Vista, California, through all of my 20s. Then last spring, I started transitioning out of rugby a little bit, and most recently I got Achilles surgery in December. I had some chronic partial Achilles tears that I needed to take care of. That brought me to Colorado Springs, and right now I’m at the Olympic Training Center doing rehab every day: PT, lifting, conditioning. And while I was recovering, my dad was like, “You need to get into the shooting range.” I was like, “Why?” And he goes, “Because you’re going to be good at it.” That’s what he said about rugby, so I figured I should listen to him. So I got into the shooting range with my boot and my scooter on, met the national team coach Anthony, and he was like, “Are you kind of good at this? Would you be serious about it?” And I was like, “Yeah.” I started taking it seriously in February.

Now I’m in the range about three hours a day shooting air pistol, which is 10 meters away from the target, and sport pistol, which is 25 meters away with a .22 caliber pistol.

Elizabeth Montavon

Okay, wow. So are we talking about Nicole Heavirland career 2.0 or 3.0 here? How many elite careers do you have in you?

Nicole Heavirland

It’s weird because I went to college for basketball and then transitioned to rugby at West Point after one semester. Then I got onto the Olympic rugby team. So maybe this is 3.0. Or maybe 4.0 if we’re talking about the number of Olympics I could potentially go to.

Elizabeth Montavon

That’s such a humble brag. Most athletes don’t even make it to 2.0. But wait, how is your rehab going? Achilles injuries are gnarly.

Nicole Heavirland

Yeah. I’m kind of an extremist. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it. I’m one of those players who can go for days. I don’t want to stop. My endurance is pretty high, so I really put my Achilles through the wringer.

I first felt it in 2017, but young Nicole was like, “I can keep pushing through this with physical therapy.” Then I broke my left leg six months before the Paris Olympics, and my right Achilles really took a beating compensating for it. Ever since then, it’s been rough. But the rehab has been fantastic. I’ve got the best resources possible here. The pool, strength staff, PTs, sports psych. My physical therapist Kelsey is amazing. She’s been to multiple Olympics. Shockwave therapy has been helping a lot, and I just finished probably my 10th treadmill run. We’re making moves.

Elizabeth Montavon

We love to hear that. And I love that you’ve got the full team behind you. I know everybody’s been loving these untold stories around sports, and I know you’ve got a lot of them. So without further ado, Nicole, what’s the story nobody’s ever asked you about?

Learning Mental Toughness Early

Nicole Heavirland

I’d like to take it back to fourth grade because I think this was one of the most pivotal moments of my life. When I was in third grade, I watched my brothers wrestle. My dad was the coach, and I went to every competition. Then in fourth grade, I got to wrestle. Not a lot of little girls wrestle. I remember my first competition in Whitefish, Montana. My first match was against this tall blonde boy, and he beat the living crap out of me. He cross-faced me within seconds, gave me a bloody nose, and I was crying. I was sitting alone on the bleachers covered in blood and tears. My dad came up to me and said, “Nicole, you never have to wrestle again if you don’t want to.” Then he left me there. Eventually the blood dried up, the tears dried up, and I went back to him and said, “I want to wrestle again.” And every boy I wrestled for the rest of the tournament, I pinned. I wasn’t angry. I just knew I wasn’t going to let that happen again. Then in the final match of the tournament, I had to wrestle that same boy again. My dad looked at me and said, “Remember what he did to you. Go do it to him.” And I pinned him. I beat the living crap out of him.

My dad always knew exactly what to say. He didn’t coddle me. He let me make my own decisions, and he knew how to light the fire underneath me. That’s how I was raised. I wasn’t raised like a little girl. I was just along for the ride with my brothers. And honestly, I really appreciate that. I think that mindset geared me toward rugby.

Elizabeth Montavon

Rugby is obviously such a physical sport, and tackle football and wrestling sound like perfect training grounds for it. It’s interesting hearing you talk about how the way you were raised shaped your mindset toward sport. I feel similarly. My parents never raised me to think there were different opportunities for men and women. Would you say some of that is true for you too?

Nicole Heavirland

One hundred percent. When I joined rugby, there weren’t enough girls to form a team where I grew up. So I practiced with the boys every day. Then when tournaments came around, I’d join a girls team from Missoula, which was like two hours away. I didn’t train with the girls, but I got better with the boys. I think training against boys raises your standards.

Elizabeth Montavon

Obviously we want more opportunities for girls in sports, but I can absolutely see the advantage of competing against boys who are bigger and stronger. Have you used that mentality in other sports too?

Nicole Heavirland

Not as much in other sports. But growing up with a twin brother definitely helped. You always have someone to compete against. One time we were playing basketball in the driveway, and I was elbowing him because I’m so competitive. Afterward he was like, “I’m never playing basketball with you again. You’re so mean.” I still feel bad about it. But honestly, it probably helped my career.

Elizabeth Montavon

It’s kind of a badge of honor though. You discovered rugby at 15. So talk me through how you go from discovering the sport as a teenager to becoming a full-blown Olympian.

The Work Ethic Behind the Olympics

Nicole Heavirland

Basketball was my true love. At one point in high school, somebody told me I was too short to play Division I basketball. And I was like, “I’m going to prove you wrong.” One of my coaches told me, “If you want to play Division I basketball, make 100 shots a day.” And I took that to the grave. I was in the gym before school, during lunch, after school. I got so close with the janitors because they’d let me into the gym at 5 a.m. I knew them by name. I got one of those shooting machines that spits the ball back to you, and I’d just sit around the free-throw line with my headphones in and shoot over and over and over. I got so good at it that I once made 97 shots in a row.

And honestly, that mentality carried into everything afterward: school, basketball, rugby, all of it. People ask if I’m sad basketball didn’t work out. But I’m not. Because basketball gave me the work ethic I carried into rugby. With rugby, it became staying after practice to become the best kicker on the team. The best kicker in the world. Reps after reps after reps. Not settling. That’s how I get where I want to go.

Elizabeth Montavon

It’s crazy to think that some of the biggest accomplishments of your career trace back to you spending time alone on a basketball court.

Nicole Heavirland

Yeah. And honestly, now I’m in the shooting range doing the exact same thing. Just putting in the hours. At the end of the day, it takes time.

Elizabeth Montavon

Every sport requires reps. There’s just no way around the hard work. So tell me about Tokyo.

The Tokyo Olympics and Sacrifice

Nicole Heavirland

Tokyo was fun. Obviously it was the COVID Olympics, which wasn’t ideal because you want your friends and family there. Running into an empty stadium was eerie. But performance-wise, that was probably the peak of my career. My coach and I were really connected, and I played every minute of every game in Tokyo. I never even saw what the bench looked like. It was a really special experience. And honestly, there probably won’t ever be another Olympics like it.

Elizabeth Montavon

You’re not the first athlete I’ve spoken to about Tokyo. There’s this weird experience of being at the peak of your career and yet competing in empty stadiums. Did it affect you mentally?

Nicole Heavirland

The buildup was honestly the hardest part. We were basically told, “If you want to go to the Olympics, don’t have a social life because you cannot get COVID.” So we literally just ate, slept, and breathed rugby. And honestly, I think that was unhealthy. You need something outside your sport. At the time, though, it felt worth it because all I wanted was to become an Olympian. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized you have to enjoy the journey too.

Elizabeth Montavon

I’m a huge believer that sport is a marathon, not a sprint. Unless you’re literally a sprinter.

You’re looking at potentially your fourth Olympic cycle now. What parts of yourself have you discovered through that journey?

Learning to Enjoy the Journey

Nicole Heavirland

I remember when I first joined the Olympic rugby team in 2015, I was the kid doing hill sprints on our off days. That’s not me anymore. I love off days now. Wednesdays are sacred. Sundays are sacred.

I think that’s a really important part of maturity in sport - learning to trust the process enough to rest. Back then, I wasn’t confident enough in the journey or the training plan. Now I understand that all I can do is my best each day. I can’t control the outcome. I also really try to enjoy the ride now.

At the Olympic Training Center, I’m around a lot of younger athletes who’ve never been to the Games. And I want to shake them and be like, “Enjoy it. You’re here for a reason.” Because if your only focus is “make the Olympics,” the whole thing goes by like a field trip. I’ve also learned a lot about myself through shooting. That sport is like 90% mental. I’ve had to learn patience with myself. And I’ve had to learn to ask for help. I can’t do this alone. I need the chefs, the sports psychs, the strength coaches, the dietitians - everybody.

Elizabeth Montavon

Has your support circle changed dramatically over the years?

Nicole Heavirland

Not dramatically. My family is still my biggest support system. I still call my parents for advice all the time. And I’ve had the same sports psych since 2015. He knows everything about me. One thing I’ve learned is that the Olympic world is actually pretty small. You keep running into the same people over the years. And those relationships matter.

The main thing that’s changed is probably just the variety of athletes I’m around now. I’m around wrestlers, swimmers, cyclists, boxers. I do miss my rugby teammates, though.

Why Nerves Matter

Elizabeth Montavon

You mentioned that shooting is 90% mental. Would you say it’s the most mental sport you’ve ever tried?

Nicole Heavirland

Absolutely. It is insanely hard. People think, “Oh, it’s not physical, I could do that.”

No. Try hitting a perfect 10.9 over and over. The bullseye is basically the size of the end of an eraser. I’ve done practice matches where I get nervous the exact same way I would running out onto a rugby pitch. And you just have to trust your routine.

Elizabeth Montavon

Are you someone who actually enjoys nerves?

Nicole Heavirland

I love them. There was one time we were lined up against Jamaica at the Pan American Games, and I remember thinking, “I’m not nervous. This is weird.” Nerves mean you care.

Elizabeth Montavon

I completely agree. Last year at world championships, I made finals and had zero nerves. I thought that was a good thing. Then I skied terribly. That experience taught me the nerves matter because they mean something matters.

Nicole Heavirland

Exactly. With shooting, I’m still trying to figure out what energy level I want before competition. Too high doesn’t work. Too low doesn’t work. I’m trying to find that perfect middle ground every time.

Elizabeth Montavon

I really admire that you’re still exploring new ways to grow through sport. You still have curiosity. And I think that’s what keeps sport special.

Nicole Heavirland

Yeah. I’m super grateful to still have opportunities to train and grow.

The Culture of Rugby

Elizabeth Montavon

I know you’ve also experimented a little with flag football. Tell me about your perspective on flag versus tackle football.

Nicole Heavirland

I haven’t fully jumped into it yet because I wasn’t healthy enough for the season. But I think it’s super cool. I think Team USA is going to medal in flag football, and I think it’s really fitting for LA 2028. I also like that it’s not tackle. As a 31-year-old rugby player, I feel like I’ve destroyed my body enough. I’m one of those rugby players who likes putting my head where people don’t even want to put their feet. Thankfully, I haven’t had serious head injuries. But I’ve had plenty of broken bones, stitches, black eyes, and bloody noses. My nose still bleeds all the time.

Elizabeth Montavon

That’s honestly one of the coolest parts of rugby. Everybody’s bloody and gritty and dirty.

Nicole Heavirland

Yeah. But if your nose bleeds during a game, they pull you out because of the blood. And I’m always like, “I don’t want to come out!”

Elizabeth Montavon

You and your nose need to have a conversation.

Nicole Heavirland

Seriously. I literally got a bloody nose today on the StairMaster.

Elizabeth Montavon

Okay, that just means you StairMastered harder than anyone else.

I do think flag football is going to help introduce more girls to football.

Nicole Heavirland

I agree. But I also always tell people there’s a position for everyone in rugby. Tall, short, skinny, fast - rugby will find a place for you. Especially at the college level. Rugby coaches love athletes who got cut from other sports. And the culture is incredible. What other sport do you go to battle against someone and then share a meal together afterward? It’s such a respectful and unique environment.

Advice for Young Athletes

Elizabeth Montavon

What advice would you give young athletes trying to pursue sports at a high level?

Nicole Heavirland

A couple things. First: fitness. I got really into fitness early because of my mom. She used to take me on trail runs in Montana and beat me every single day. She can run forever. That motivated me. I became so obsessed with fitness that I was named the fittest cadet at West Point. And I’ve never lost a fitness test on the national team. I honestly think it all started on those trails with my mom. She also taught us healthy habits early. By the time I left home, I naturally wanted to eat foods that made me feel good. So I always tell young athletes: you can always get fitter. And your sport becomes more fun when you’re fit.

The second thing is to become a sponge. Put your ego aside. When coaches give you feedback, just say “okay” and absorb it. One of my teammates, Sammy Sullivan, rose through the program incredibly fast because she was coachable. She just listened.

And lastly: be a good teammate. I’ve seen elite athletes not make teams because they weren’t good people.

Elizabeth Montavon

That says so much about your humility and maturity around sports.

Nicole Heavirland

If you learn those things early — fitness, coachability, work ethic, being a good teammate — you’ll be successful.

Elizabeth Montavon

So Nicole’s formula is: eat well, train hard, beat up on the boys, and get coached.

Nicole Heavirland

Exactly. My dad actually has merch that says “All About Attitude.” That’s something he taught me early. Life’s going to suck sometimes. What matters is how you respond.

Looking Ahead

Elizabeth Montavon

You’ve shared so much wisdom with us today. What’s next for you?

Nicole Heavirland

Honestly, just continuing to train. I can’t control other people, but I can control myself. If I get one percent better every day, I’m happy. And I really want to continue enjoying the journey. I love meeting other Olympic athletes and hearing their stories. And I just want to make a positive impact wherever I go.

Elizabeth Montavon

That’s really all any of us can do. Before we wrap up, let’s go to The Last Lap.

If you, Nicole Heavirland, were the answer to a sports trivia question, what would that question be?

Nicole Heavirland

What athlete went to West Point for college basketball but ended up becoming a three-time Olympic rugby player?

Elizabeth Montavon

Nicole Heavirland: the one and only.

Nicole, thank you so much for joining us today. For people who want to follow along with your career, what’s your Instagram handle?

Nicole Heavirland

It’s @nicole406heavirland. And 406 is the Montana area code, so I’ll always remember home.

Elizabeth Montavon

She’s loyal to home, you guys. Nicole, it was such a pleasure.

Nicole Heavirland

Thanks, Elizabeth. Thank you so much.