Dr. Daniel Cooper is a human performance and behaviour specialist who focuses on improving individual and team performance in high-pressure, high-consequence environments.

He provides a unique perspective that sits at the intersection of real-world experience, academic research, and high-performance development.

His experience encompasses over 18 years of service within the Australian Special Operations community, as well as academic studies in physiology, PhD research on performing under pressure, and current studies in neuroscience.

In addition to high-performance coaching in professional sports and personal pursuits in extreme ultra-endurance events, Daniel has also worked within law enforcement as a frontline skills trainer, assisting in the development and delivery of strategic command programs.

Follow Dr. Cooper:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-cooper-phd-3725194a/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancooper_phd/

Timestamps:

00:21 Introduction to Dr. Daniel Cooper

01:35 Where in Antarctica is Dr. Daniel Cooper Going?

02:54 What Distance Record is Dr. Cooper Going for?

03:42 What are the Logistics for a Trip to Antarctica?

04:58 What Does the Food Look Like?

07:09 Starting Weight for a Sled

08:22 Getting Out of the Special Air Service

08:49 Dr. Cooper's Area of Research

09:39 Under Pressure You Fall to the Level of Your Instructor

12:24 What Operators Do Wrong When They Become Instructors

14:32 What's Dr. Cooper's Take on the Post-Engagement Scan?

18:47 The "Rule of Pretending" in Training Exercises

23:17 "Procedure Monkey" Meaning

24:06 Letting Situations Go Wrong in Training

27:35 Balancing Adaptability, Productivity and Challenges

31:44 The Impact of Shame in Training Practices

34:58 Mental Toughness is Misunderstood

40:58 How a Unit Should View Their Team and the World Around Them

46:05 Difference Between Character and Capability

49:38 More Effective Evaluating in the Special Air Service

53:40 Psychological Characteristics of Developing Excellence, PCDE's

01:03:03 Linear vs Non-Linear Motor Skill Development

01:12:54 Desirable Difficulties to Train Recall Skills

01:13:53 Dr. Coopers Book Recommendation

01:14:53 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received

01:16:26 Outro

Elias Kfoury was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and immigrated to the United States at an early age in search of a brighter, safer future. After college, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving 21½ years before his medical retirement. Beginning as a Hospital Corpsman supporting the U.S. Marine Corps, he soon entered the Special Operations community as a Deep Sea Diving Medical Technician and completed advanced medical training to support Naval Special Warfare units. Following his service in Little Creek, Virginia, he successfully screened for Naval Special Warfare Development Group, where he spent the majority of his career as a Squadron Medic in multiple roles. After retiring, Elias transitioned into the business world, but soon recognized the deeper need to heal himself and his family. Today, he dedicates his life to supporting others on their own journeys while cherishing time with his family.

Eli's Book Recommendations for special operations candidates (aside from Building the Elite):

Breath – James Nestor

The Way of the SEAL – Mark Divine

Peak Performance – Brad Stulberg & Steve Magness

The Talent Code – Daniel Coyle

The Obstacle Is the Way – Ryan Holiday

With Winning in Mind – Lanny Bassham

Deep Survival – Laurence Gonzales

Call Sign Chaos – Jim Mattis & Bing West

Legacy – James Kerr

Timestamps:

00:00:21 Introduction to Eli Khoury

00:00:52 Where Did Eli Khoury Grow Up?

00:01:36 Experience of Growing Up in a War Zone

00:05:54 How "Real Mortal Danger" Shapes Your Mental Health

00:08:59 How Many Children Currently Don't Have Physical "Third Spaces"

00:12:05 Formative Moments That Clarified "Who Eli Is"

00:18:20 Eli's Educational Background

00:24:43 The Goal of Coaching

00:27:48 Common Things People Struggle to Let Go of

00:29:43 Improving the Coaching Process for the Future

00:32:04 Coaching Families

00:34:04 Utilizing Tools like Psychedelics

00:36:18 Teaching How to Give Up Control While Using Psychedelics

00:40:40 Teaching How to Let Go Without Psychedelics

00:48:20 The Skill of "Sitting With Stillness"

00:52:48 What Military Skills Transfer to the Rest of the World?

00:58:04 Teaching Resilience to People Early in Their Career

01:13:45 Advice for Someone Trying to Enter BUDS

01:14:49 Advice for Someone in a Special Operations Medical Path

01:16:33 Advice for Someone Who Wants to Screen for a Tier 1 Unit

01:18:20 One Book that Everyone Should Read

01:18:37 Sponsor Note - Our Book, "Building the Elite"

01:19:05 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received

01:21:48 Outro

If your selection will be held in a hot environment, it’s important to acclimate to the heat before heading out. Any SOF selection will push you to your physical limits, and not being acclimated to the heat can significantly increase your risk of failure.

Heat injuries in SOF selection are fairly common, and they can be sneaky. The workload is so intense that even moderately warm, humid days can produce conditions that encourage heat injuries, particularly for people who are coming from cooler, drier climates who aren’t habituated to the weather.

Like any adaptation, how you stress your body changes your rate and degree of adaptation. Randomly doing hard things in hot conditions isn’t the best strategy. In this episode, we’ll outline our recommendations based on practical experience and the most current research.

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